Hyrule's Light
by LivyWrites
Summary: When Link and Zelda both awoke in the Shrine of Resurrection, they had no idea what they were getting themselves into. In fact, they didn't know anything at all. Now, as they clumsily trudge through a strange yet familiar land, a dark, menacing force writhes in the ruins of a castle, gathering it's strength for one final strike that will grant it it's 100 year old revenge.
1. Good Morning

**This chapter was revised as of 3/31/2020**

**Heyoo! Thanks for clicking this far! This fanfic is basically a slight AU where Link and Zelda are both put into the Shrine of Resurrection, and they both have to recover their memories together. I saw some art on Pinterest portraying this idea and absolutely fell in love! So I decided to write this lengthy fan fiction, and I've been enjoying it immensely. Here's hoping you will too!**

**Also, a lot of the dialogue in this fic is taken from cut scenes from the game and mutilated just a snitch (because Zelda's with Link) but just know that I am not trying to take credit from writing some of the dialogue in this fanfic. I wanted to keep this story as close to the game as possible, as if it were a two-player game with Zelda, so that's that.**

_Restoration process complete. Waking occupants…_

A sliver of light pierced the young man's eyes as he slowly opened them, wincing as his vision was flooded with blue light. The first thought that came into his head was simply: _Where am I?_ To answer that, he was in some sort of… bed? Tub? A strange liquid was draining around him, and as it's cool touch was leaving his body, he felt more awake. Despite that feeling, however, he couldn't find the strength to move. Odd.

_Who am I?_ The thought struck him as odd. Shouldn't he know his own name? He stared at the blue light as an unusual structure or… design came into focus. His eyes widened. _Link… I'm Link. What a strange name._ Link blinked a few times before finally sitting up, propping himself up with his arms. He was surprised he didn't creak like a rusting door. He certainly felt 100 years old.

The air around him was strangely warm and stuffy. It smelled old. He looked around the weird room, stopping only when he saw another tub bed structure right next to his. Even more strange was that someone sitting in that bed, just like him, was staring right back at him. Except… It was a girl. She had long golden hair and dazzling green eyes that were filled with relatable confusion. Her face was soft and round, and yet she seemed stubborn and full of an attitude to fight. She was wearing a sleeveless dark blue dress that looked more like a long shirt tied with a string around her waist.

Silence swirled around the two, making Link's thoughts and questions run wild. It was making his head hurt. So, he took the initiative and spoke. "I'm Link." He said, surprised by how his voice sounded. It was basically a whisper, barely audible. His throat felt dry and unused. _Huh. Weird._

The girl blinked a couple of times before replying. "I… I'm Zelda… I think." She murmured, her voice just as soft as his.

Again silence fell over them before a flash of blue light caught their attention. They both looked over to find a peculiar looking pedestal. Link glanced at Zelda before swinging his legs over the side of the bed and standing. The cold ground sent chills up his spine as he slowly walked over to the structure. He heard light footsteps behind him and soon Zelda was standing next to him. She was keeping her distance though. And for some reason that sent a pang of hurt through Link. _Why? I don't even know this girl._

They both looked down at the structure only for it to flash again and… change. A small, flat device lifted up and spun around to reveal an orange and blue design that resembled an eye. The orange designs on it pulsed like a heartbeat as the device sat there, almost like it was waiting for someone to pick it up. So, naturally, Link took a step forward and picked it up. He turned the device over in his hands, staring at the blank side. The eye design suddenly appeared before him, making a strange little sound as it did.

Zelda inched closer, staring at the device with large eyes. "What is it?" She asked.

As if to answer her question, the device made another little sound and words appeared on the screen. A female voice emanated from the device and began to read the words out loud. Link almost dropped the thing in surprise.

_"Link! Zelda! If you're hearing this you're finally awake. Sweet! Listen, this is the Sheikah Slate, okay? Impa and I know that the restoration process will probably mess with your minds a little… sorry… we had no choice... so that's why I prepared this nifty little recording for you two! Aren't I just the best? Anyways… you guys have been asleep for the past 100 years. I've set up a little… whatcha call it… guide? That should help you guys. Just follow the yellow dot okay? Your goal right now is to find Purah. That's me. The dot should lead you to me once you get out of the shrine. Oh, and if you see any more pedestals like the one you're hopefully standing by, just hold the slate up to it and everything should work in a snap! Anyways, hope you two find me when you wake up! I'll probably be all old and wrinkly haha. Unless I find a way to reverse that…" _The voice faded away. Link stared at the so-called Sheikah Slate, his mind running faster than he thought possible. _Restoration process? What in Hylia's name is that supposed to mean? And have I really been asleep for 100 years?!_

Link glanced over at Zelda, who looked just as stunned as he did. _Whir… click!_ Link looked back down at the pedestal only to see it had returned to normal. Then something else caught his attention; an opening had appeared in the wall.

Curious, Link quickly jogged over to the opening and into a similar-looking room, except it was longer. It was filled with rusty barrels, large boxes, and broken crates. A chest was the first thing to catch his attention. He walked over to it and squatted down, setting the Sheikah Slate on the ground. He opened the chest, smiling as he saw some clothes. Quickly, he reached in and grabbed the pile, frowning as he felt the scratchy fabric immediately itch his hands and arms. He sat down and sorted out the clothes, pulling on the pants and shirt. He put on the worn-down shoes as well. The shirt was a plain tan color, with plenty of tears on the ends of the sleeves to show just how old the fabric was. The pants were worse. They were a faded brown and were just a couple of inches too short. The only helpful thing was the collection of belts and leather straps that, when around his waist, allowed him to hook the Sheikah Slate on with ease. Other than that, the whole outfit was… old. It smelled musty and dusty and itched worse than he could have ever imagined. But still… they were clothes. He stood, looking up right as Zelda was bending down to open a similar chest.

She looked over him. "Nice clothes." She said with a smile that was just hinted with laughter. She turned back to her own chest and opened it, wrinkling her nose as dust wafted into the air. She reached in and pulled out a pile of what looked like just a bunch of tan fabric. Again, she looked at Link. "You're going to watch me dress?" She asked, incredulous.

Link felt his face grow warm. "Yes- uh I mean… No." He said, bending down and picking up the Sheikah Slate. He quickly rushed behind one of the boxes and crouched. He heard the rustle of fabric as Zelda began to dress. He sighed and leaned against the box, looking down at the Sheikah Slate. He fiddled with the device, thinking back to what the voice had told them. _"You guys have been asleep for the past 100 years." _He frowned. _Why? _There was no way of knowing. And then there was what she had said about their minds… _"Impa and I know that the restoration process will probably mess with your minds a little…" First of all… who's Impa? And second of all… what's wrong with my mind? What's wrong with Zelda's mind? I guess it makes sense since I'm so confused. And I don't know where I am or who Zelda's supposed to be._

"I'm done." Zelda then called out, and Link stood up from behind the box. The young girl was now wearing a dress similar to the one from before, except now it had sleeves that just went past her elbows, and it had a thin leather belt around her waist. Other than that it was just as short as if it were a long shirt. Underneath she had on tight brown pants that were less faded than his, and to finish it off were soft-looking brown boots that went up past her ankles.

Link frowned. "Why are your clothes new?"

"They're not." Zelda retorted.

"Hm."

Link then let his eyes wander around the room until he spotted another pedestal down at the end of the room that looked identical to the one from before. Without a word, Link walked down a short ramp before standing over the structure. Unlike the one from before, this one had the same designs on it, but it was glowing orange instead of blue. In the center was the same eye design that was on the back of the Sheikah Slate. What was the deal with that eye anyway? Zelda jogged up to look at the pedestal herself.

"Remember what the voice said? You need to hold the Slate up to it." Zelda explained. Link glanced down at the Slate in his hand and put the side with the eye on it on top of the pedestal. Nothing happened. Zelda frowned. "Here, let me try." She said, taking the Slate out of Link's hand before he could say anything. She flipped the device over and placed it again on the pedestal. This time it flashed blue, changing the designs to the same blue color. A little robotic voice sounded from it.

_"Authenticating… Sheikah Slate confirmed. Guide activated." _The screen flashed and changed, showing a large map with details so small and delicate, it was hard to see them all. Little names of different places were scattered across the map, and a yellow dot had appeared. It was in a place called "Hateno Village."

Link looked over at Zelda, who was smiling with triumph and excitement. Apparently all of this flashing and disembodied voices was very exciting for her. Giving Zelda a look, he reached over and plucked the Sheikah Slate out of her hands and clasped it back onto his hip. A click and a rumble then made Link look over at the wall, but it wasn't a wall anymore. It was a door, and it was sliding open. Link and Zelda walked towards the door in wonder as a bright light flooded in through the opening. The door finished sliding with a satisfying thump. Link was squinting against the bright light, and soon his eyes adjusted enough so that he could see an opening in the distance. Just a hint of cool fresh air blew across his face, and he almost sprinted towards it then and there. But he didn't. This was all so alien, so strange to him; he had no idea how to react.

Finally, he took a step forward, Zelda following close behind him. She seemed more hesitant to get out than him. They walked up the steps and through a shallow puddle until a rock face stopped them. Link didn't hesitate this time though. He jumped up and grabbed onto the ledge, pulling himself up. The opening was closer now, making his heart thump rapidly in anticipation.

He looked back down at Zelda, who was looking right back up at him. "Need help?" He asked.

She nodded before reaching up with her arms. Link knelt down and grabbed onto her forearms, pulling up with all of his might. It was harder than he thought it would be. After a full minute of struggling and grunting, Zelda was up and over the ledge. Link was lying on his back, breathing hard. "That was harder than it should've been." He muttered.

Zelda stood, subconsciously brushing the dirt off of her already dirty clothes. "Sorry. I can't jump up rock walls like you can." Lending him a hand, she helped Link stand again.

Link snorted. "Well you'll have to learn to. I'm not doing that again."

Zelda nodded. "That makes two of us." She simply replied with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

They both turned towards the opening once again, and with Link in the lead, jogged towards it. Link was feeling as skittish as a rabbit. The scent of the fresh air was closer and stronger, and now the crisp breeze ruffled his hair.

And then… they were out.

Link was almost in a flat out run when he got to the edge of the cliff, taking as deep of breaths as he could. It felt amazing. The sun was just barely over the horizon, casting the view in a milky light that seemed almost like a dream. Mountains, lakes, canyons, everything and anything was out there, and Link felt the sudden urge to explore it all. But that wasn't all he was feeling. Beneath the excitement and exhilaration, there was a sense of… familiarity. He felt like he knew this place, as gigantic and vast as it was.

Zelda jogged up behind him, her eyes wide and sparkling in the morning sun. Her hair reflected the beauty of the light around them perfectly. Even her old rags of clothes looked beautiful. A strange feeling washed over Link as he looked at her. He felt as if he knew this girl too. Almost… almost like… "What's that?" Zelda asked, snapping Link out of his thoughts and pointing out to the view.

Following her finger, Link found what she was talking about. A silhouette of a castle stood out from among the dots of trees and vast fields. It looked majestic and yet… pitiful. Link could just make out strange leaning pillars circling around the castle, and as he looked at it more he could tell that it wasn't perfect. It was in ruins. The feeling of familiarity grew stronger. He knew that place. But what was it? Perhaps that new map on the Sheikah Slate had a name for it.

"I don't know." Link mumbled, tearing his eyes from the stunning horizon. He looked over to the side and stared up at the ruins of a temple that must have once been beautiful. The ruins were huge and intriguing, but there was something else tugging at the corner of his eye. He looked down only to find an old man standing farther down the hill. He was looking at them as if he had expected them to walk out of that dusty cave. "Zelda… look." Link said, nudging the girl beside him.

She looked over at the old man, her eyebrows raised quizzically. "Who do you suppose that is?"

"I don't know." Link whispered. He couldn't see the man's face because he was wearing a hood, but Link could tell that the man knew they were looking at him. A pause drifted between them until the man simply turned and started walking towards a fire twinkling underneath a short outcropping.

"Well let's go down and meet him," Zelda suggested, walking away from the ledge and towards the old man's fire.

Link nodded in agreement before looking over at the castle in the distance once more. It was so sad and lonely looking. His stomach lurched painfully from the surge of sudden emotion he felt before he forced himself to turn away and follow Zelda down the hill.

The path they took down the slight hill towards the old man obviously used to be a finely paved road with shallow stone steps, but nature had quickly claimed it as its own. Weeds, roots and grass covered the stone like a parasite. Link stared at it for a while before lifting his head and scanning the trees and rocks around him, puzzled by the continuous feeling that he knew where he was. He knew this place. The name was just a breath away.

The old man was sitting on a grassy log, holding a carved branch with a lantern hooked onto it. He had a brown hood over his head, casting his face in shadow as he gazed into the crackling fire before him. The only notable feature about him was his thick white beard. Other than that he looked like your run of the mill poor old man.

Zelda was the first to approach him, smiling politely. "Excuse me, sir, but do you know what this place is?" She asked, clasping her hands behind her back.

The old man looked up, his face being cast in little odd shadows from the fire and his hood. "You don't know?" He asked. His voice was deep and rough.

Zelda shook her head in response.

The old man regarded Zelda for a moment, his eyes strangely focused. Almost too focused. Link was surprised Zelda didn't squirm or shift where she stood. "This is the Great Plateau," He finally replied, "According to legend, this was the birthplace of the entire kingdom of Hyrule."

Link's eyes slightly widened. _Hyrule. So that's what this place is called._

The old man then shifted on his log, pointing his lantern to the temple ruins. "That temple there… long ago, it was the site of many sacred ceremonies. Ever since the decline of the kingdom 100 years ago, however, it has sat abandoned, in a state of decay. Yet another forgotten entity. A mere ghost of its former self." The man turned back to them, a mournful glint in his eyes. "Lonely, isn't it."

Zelda glanced at Link before nodding. "Yes, um… very lonely."

"Who are you?" Link then asked, cutting through the somber mood in the air and stepping forward so that the old man could see him clearly. The man hummed in thought and rested both hands on his lantern.

"Me? I'll spare you my life story. I'm just an old fool who has lived here, alone, for quite some time now. What brings you two to a place like this?"

"Well… we're supposed to go find this lady named Purah." Zelda explained.

The old man seemed uninterested, as if he somehow already knew, or… just didn't care. His eyes drifted for a moment, resting on the Sheikah Slate that hung on Link's hip. Link noticed this and glanced down at the Slate as well, placing his hand over it, a silent but clear message. A strange look flashed in the old man's eyes before he turned his attention back to Zelda.

"You see, sir, we… don't really know what we're supposed to do. We honestly don't really know where, or who we are." Zelda said.

Link shot Zelda a look. He didn't trust this guy, especially with how he looked at the Sheikah Slate just barely. That glint in his eye told Link that this man knew more than he was telling them.

The old man chuckled, although it wasn't humorous or lighthearted at all, making Link's stomach clench. Everything about this was setting off red flags. "What a strange predicament you two find yourselves in. Perhaps I may be able to help." The old man stood, again directing their attention to the temple ruins. "Tomorrow, at dawn, meet me in those ruins. I'll tell you everything you need to know. I'll even give you a gift that you will need to get off of this isolated plateau." The man paused, looking back at Link and Zelda. "But in the meantime, perhaps you'll accompany me back to my humble abode?"

Link didn't want to. He really didn't want to. But, just like how Zelda had said, they had no idea where, or who they were. Besides, if the old man wanted to harm them, Link was sure he and Zelda could outrun him. How dangerous could a lone man with a lantern be?

"Yes, that sounds wonderful. Thank you." Zelda said politely. Link grudgingly nodded in agreement. The old man smiled for the first time since they had met him, but still… it looked as if something was weighing on him. Something big.

"Good. Now, would you please follow me. It isn't too far from here." The old man again glanced at the Sheikah Slate before turning, walking down the old, crumbling steps. Zelda gave Link a smile as she followed after him. Still uneasy, Link had no choice but to follow, picking up a tree branch along the way.

It was almost dusk by the time they arrived at the old man's "humble abode". They followed in after him, making their way through a creaky old door as they did so. The old man stood off to the side as they did so, regarding both of them with that same, scrutinizing look that made Link shudder. That didn't stop Link from looking around the shack, however, as it was definitely humble. Maybe even too humble. It was low but long, with mossy, weak-looking logs as the walls. The roof looked to be nothing more than a cloth or tarp of some kind. The entire shack was only a single room with dirty fabric as the floor. A simple, poorly crafted table sat in the middle, with one hard looking bed in the corner and a few pots in the other. A long counter poked out of the wall by the bed, with a couple of mushrooms sitting untouched. An open book lay on the table, and as the old man noticed Zelda looking at it he quickly snatched it up and placed it on the counter by the mushrooms.

"It's not much, but I hope it will suit your needs." The old man began, catching the attention of Link and Zelda as he made his way back to the door. "I'm leaving, and if I'm not back by dark, you may use the bed or the cooking pot outside if you're hungry." He finished, quickly walking out of the shack, not giving Link or Zelda any time to ask where he was going or react to the sudden departure.

A moment afterward, however, Link and Zelda shrugged it off and continued to inspect the home. If you could even call it that. Link was busy looking over the mushrooms that rested on the counter as Zelda walked over to the bed. She picked up the pillow, which was only a sack filled with straw. "He seems trustworthy," Zelda said after a while of silence, setting the pillow back down.

"We have no idea who he is." Link replied shortly.

Zelda walked over to him, glancing down at the mushrooms as well, a look of disgust flashing over her face. "We don't even know who we are, Link."

"Hm." He hummed before glancing at the Sheikah Slate down on his hip. "That's why we need to find Purah. She said she'll have answers."

"How can you be so sure? She told us it's been 100 years. We don't even know if she's still alive."

"Then what do we do?" Link asked, getting a little frustrated.

Zelda looked over at the counter, spotting the book. "We should try to gather information." She smiled, grabbing it by its thin spine and reading what Link assumed was the title. "The Old Man's Diary." Zelda read. She snorted. "Why, he doesn't even call himself by his own name!"

"Maybe that is his name?" Link suggested.

Zelda looked at Link with a shocked expression. "What a horrid name! Who would name their child 'Old Man?'"

Link merrily shrugged. "Who would name their child Link?" He mumbled, quiet enough so that Zelda didn't hear.

The young girl quickly scanned through the pages, frowning as she set the book aside. "There's nothing there. It only talks about a meal he forgot an ingredient to."

Snorting, Link looked outside the doorway. It was just barely turning dark. Suddenly, he realized just how tired he was. The only problem-he'd already slept for 100 years. "Well, we can go find him in the morning and ask more questions." Link said, walking over to the bed. Zelda walked right up next to him.

"Honestly Link, are you going to make me sleep on the ground? Even without your memory, you wouldn't make a girl sleep in the dirt, would you?" She said, her hands on her hips.

Link looked at Zelda with annoyed eyes. "Neither of us has to sleep on the ground." He remarked, rather monotone.

Zelda scoffed. "I am not squeezing onto some rickety old plank of wood with you. There's no room at all." Zelda hastily said, her face red and flustered. "Besides, you smell bad." She added, the red fading from her face and residing in her ears.

Sighing, Link took a few steps away from the bed. He felt as if this sort of situation would be happening a lot in the future. "Fine." He grumbled, plopping down onto the dirty fabric that was supposed to be the flooring, turning away from Zelda.

There was a moment of silence before something soft but rough hit him in the head. Opening his eyes in exasperation, he sat up and turned, only to find the makeshift pillow lying on the ground next to him. He picked it up, looking up at Zelda who was already lying on the bed, her back facing him. Her golden hair spread out behind her like it was a blanket itself.

Suddenly feeling guilty for sounding so rough and snappy before, he turned away, laying his head onto the pillow. At least it made sleeping on the ground less jarring. Although, he almost felt like he didn't need it. He felt like he'd rather be sleeping on the ground than on the bed. But, the gift was still heartwarming. If Zelda had wanted the bed so bad, she probably wanted the pillow as well.

"Thanks." Link mumbled sheepishly. Zelda didn't reply.

**Okay, so here's the deal. (Thank you for reading, by the way,) I am not a good time manager. I'll do my best to keep the waiting between chapters as short as possible, but I can only do so much. I won't be able to set a schedule, as my life is chaotic and extremely busy at times. So, bear with me please, and I hope you've enjoyed the first chapter of Hyrule's Light!**


	2. Gift in the Steeple

**This chapter was revised as of 4/20/2020**

Morning came with a light trill of song that came from the tiny birds who rested on the twigs of trees. The bright, welcoming sunlight shone through the rotting log walls, waking Link. Link opened his eyes as slow as a grizzly after hibernation, yawning as he sat up. His hair was a rat's nest. He could feel it. But he didn't care. Even with dirt and dust covering him from sleeping on the ground, he never felt better. The only thing that would've made that night better was sleeping out of the shack and under the stars.

Slowly standing, Link looked over to the bed to find Zelda still asleep. She was facing him, her mouth slightly open while the rest of her face appeared completely relaxed and peaceful. Link couldn't help but smile as he walked out of the shack, taking a deep breath of the crisp morning breeze._ Nothing as refreshing as the smell of a new day._ He thought to himself as he walked over to the cooking pot. He bent down to look underneath, spotting burnt-out logs and sticks.

With a rumbling stomach, Link set out to find firewood. He figured he would try his best with cooking. Besides, what was a morning without breakfast?

The fire had started just as he had planned it to. The process of building the fire had come naturally to him as if his brain had willingly stepped in to help without him telling it to. He had found water in the old man's hut, (which was now boiling in the pot,) along with the mushrooms that were on the counter and a chunk of rock salt.

He had just barely added in the salt when Zelda walked out of the shack, rubbing an eye as she looked at him with a glazed-over gaze. "Mushrooms for breakfast?" She asked, her words slightly slurred from drowsiness.

Link nodded.

Zelda came to sit next to Link on the log that sat in front of the pot, as Link scraped at the tree branch he had picked up yesterday with a rock, sharpening it to a fine point.

"How's it coming? Is it almost done? Zelda inquired, leaning forward slightly to peer at the boiling breakfast.

Again, Link nodded. "Almost."

A couple of minutes later Link deemed the mushrooms worthy, and he stabbed one with the stick, passing it to Zelda. Leaning down, he picked up another sharpened stick and stabbed the other mushroom, holding it high into the air to cool. In reality he had no idea what he was doing, but he trusted his instincts.

"The old man told us to meet him in the ruins at dawn," Zelda said, regarding the mushroom with a wrinkled nose, "I looked at the map on the Sheikah Slate, and it said that that temple is called the Temple of Time." She stood, still glaring at the mushroom with distaste. "We should go now." She said, finally looking away from the mushroom and down at Link.

"What about breakfast?" Link asked, gesturing at his mushroom. _It's not that easy to boil a mushroom and make it taste good with just a stick and a chunk of salt._

"We can eat on the way there," Zelda answered, sounding a little exasperated.

Link sighed. He really didn't want to go seek out the old man, but he told himself he had no choice. They needed information, and the man had said he had a "gift" for them.

Link stood, taking a bite from the mushroom. It wasn't revolting, but then again it wasn't tasty. But, it would last them till they found the old man. Zelda had taken a bite of her own from the mushroom, and she was showing obvious dislike. Apparently, she was not a huge fan of shrooms. 

It took a while for them to reach the so-called Temple of Time, but they had finally made it to the first of the steps. They had discarded their sticks long ago, having finished their mushrooms in seconds. Even though it wasn't as good as it could've been, they had still been hungry.

The ruins before them were larger up close, as is with every structure. The temple itself looked to at least have a roof, although it was peppered with holes and cracks. The courtyards and separate smaller buildings off to the sides though didn't have a roof at all.

Link took the lead, walking onto the crumbly steps and making his way to one of the ruined structures off to his left. He walked through a doorway, spotting a treasure chest sitting on what appeared to be some sort of mini shallow stage. He sped up his pace, kneeling before the chest and opening it.

"What's inside?" Zelda asked, looking over Link's shoulder. Link reached in, pulling out a short sword with wide eyes. It looked to be perfectly intact and capable of usage, although the sword had apparently seen better days. The handle was simply wrapped up with leather, the blade scratched and dented. They didn't have much time to admire their new weapon, though. A strange gurgling sound came from behind them, causing every hair on the back of Link's neck to bolt up, and he followed suit, turning just as Zelda let out a surprised gasp.

There was a ...thing in front of them. A monster by the looks of it. It had a mangled pig-like face with long, drooping ears and a short, snotty snout. Its beady blue eyes narrowed in on Link, a purple tongue swinging out of its gaping mouth like it was panting. It was wearing nothing but a stained loincloth and a skull medallion dangling on a leather cord around its neck. The monster was wielding a crude wooden club, its strange animal-like movements causing it to swing back and forth in its loose grip.

"W-what is that?" Zelda stuttered, stepping behind Link.

As if on cue, the monster bolted towards them, letting out a strange gurgle-like roar as it raised its club. Zelda yelped and darted out of the way and hiding behind a pile of rubble, but Link held his ground. Something about this was oddly familiar like he'd done this a hundred times before.

Link lifted the sword in front of him just as the monster heaved his club down on him, their weapons bashing together violently. Feeling his muscles giving way, Link leaped out of the test of strength and thrust his sword towards the monster. The monster let out a choked yelp as it jumped back out of harm's way, growling as anger flooded its eyes.

Not another second was wasted as the monster charged yet again, anticipating Link's slash with the sword and smacking him in the side with his wooden club. From the force of the impact, Link stumbled and fell onto the ground, rolling to the side as the monster slashed down, a dull thud sounding as the club whacked the grassy stones. Link hastily stood, breathing hard as he raised his sword. The roll had gotten him directly behind the hideous monster; the perfect time to strike.

With all of his strength, Link stabbed his dull sword into the back of the monster, stepping back as the creature let out a blood-curdling screech before falling to the ground.

Zelda hesitantly came out from her hiding spot, making her way back to Link. "What was that?" She repeated, staring down at the creature. Her eyes flicked over to something that was sitting in the stringy grass. "The Sheikah Slate!" She cried, rushing over to pick up the slab. "You dropped it." She said accusingly.

Panting, Link didn't reply as he stalked towards the monster and pulled his sword out, the blade making a sickening _slick_ as it slid out of the dead carcass. His side was aching from where the monster had hit him, making it hard not to limp. But he figured he'd be fine.

Zelda wrinkled her nose in distaste. "I hope we never have to see one of those things again." She said grouchily, stomping over to Link. "And I'm holding onto the Sheikah Slate from now on. I don't trust you with it, and neither with that sword might I add." She glanced down at the belt that Link had used to hook on the Sheikah Slate. "I'm going to need that." She pointed at the leather belt.

Knowing that Zelda wouldn't let this matter fall, Link sighed and unclasped the leather strap, handing it over to Zelda. As Zelda wrapped the strap around her and clasped it on, he wiped his sword on the grass and slipped it through another leather strap that he had found in the chest. Apparently whoever had put those clothes in those chests had known that Link would need a place for a weapon. The thought unsettled him.

"Now. We need to find that old man." Zelda said, turning around with a huff and walking out of the ruins, keeping a wide berth around the monster's dead body.

"Why so angry?" Link asked, hurrying up to keep stride with Zelda.

She glanced at Link. Her eyes were still wide with a hint of fear and nervousness. "You could've gotten your-" She cleared her throat and looked away. "I mean, you could've broken the Sheikah Slate. It's our only hope for… survival." She finished weakly.

Link smiled. "Were you worried about me?"

Zelda shot him a dangerous look. "I was afraid you'd turn the ruins to dust. You barely have technique, or let alone control with that sword."

Still smiling, Link shrugged. Despite the amusing fact that Zelda was scared for him, he was too. That monster was unlike anything he'd ever seen. That is… unless he had seen one before, well… before his memory got messed up.

As they continued along the steps towards the main temple, no words passed between the two. Apparently the encounter with the monster had scared them more then they cared to show. Just as they were about to come around a bend that would lead them into the temple, Link shot his arm out in front of Zelda to stop her.

"What?" She said, a hint of anger still on her voice.

"Don't you hear that?" Link hissed. A very faint sound of breathing and snorting became louder as they stopped moving. Link felt that familiar chill creep along his spine and up his neck, making his hair stand on end.

Apparently Zelda felt it too. "Not another one." She whispered, almost whimpering.

Link glanced at her, motioning for her to stay, as he took his sword out and took a few silent steps forward, peeking around the bend. Sure enough, there was another monster, almost identical to the one from before. It had the same orange-brown color, the same snotty snout, and the same beady blue eyes.

Link crept back to Zelda, nodding as if to say: "Yep, there's another deadly monster, just around the bend! Blocking the entrance to the temple!"

Turning to look back at the monster, Link crept up to the bend again when the monster suddenly popped up directly in front of him, raising its club. Link yelped and darted out of the way, hearing Zelda cry out in fear as she too ran out of the monster's reach. She bolted for the temple, hiding inside the crumbly building. Link dashed behind the monster, putting his back to the temple. He swung his sword with all of his might just as the monster raised its club in defense, catching the chunk of wood and wrenching it out of the monster's grasp.

Letting his instincts take over, Link swung at the monster again, catching the creature in the head. The pig-like thing was dead before it hit the ground. Link smiled in triumph and rushed into the temple, praying there weren't any more monsters in the building. Zelda stared at Link, dumbfounded.

"What is it?" Link asked, again wiping his sword on the grass before slipping it back into the leather strap that was supposed to be a sheath.

"That looked oddly professional." She remarked.

Link shrugged. "I just let my instincts take over."

"Well then maybe you were an elite swordsman, destined to slay evil before you took a 100-year nap," Zelda said jokingly.

Link was about to mention how ridiculous that sounded when a familiar voice sounded from above, cutting their conversation short.

"Oho! Looks like you two finally made it here alive!" The old man called. It took a moment before Link could find where he was. When he did, his mouth fell open a little. The mysterious old man was looking down at them from a large gaping hole in the roof, waving his lantern in greeting. "Quickly! Make your way up here! There's an old ladder out here on the side! Oh, and might I say, congratulations on slaying those bokoblins! They can be a real pain in the buttocks!" And then the old man was gone, disappearing from the hole.

Link looked over at Zelda. "What's a bokoblin?" He asked.

Zelda gave Link a look. "You expect me to know?" She replied.

Now that the excitement had passed, Link was finally able to take a good look around the interior of the temple. The ground was mostly just grass, but underneath it wasn't dirt. You could still feel, and in some parts see, the hard stone floor of the once majestic temple. Huge windows that must have once been beautiful were now shattered, some completely missing.

There wasn't much inside the temple itself, but what there was was a large statue sitting on a raised platform, with short stairs leading up to it. The statue was old and almost to the point of falling apart, but it still looked powerful and important, with a hint of grace. It looked to be some sort of angel, or goddess, with a soft expression that somehow still ordered obedience.

Smaller identical statues circled the large one, all of them facing outwards as if they were performing some ritual or praising the towering statue before them.

_I wonder who made that._ Link thought, turning away and looking up at the giant hole in the ceiling where the old man had appeared. When Zelda didn't respond, he looked back down only to find her staring at the statue with wide eyes.

"I know that statue. I feel like I've seen one like it before, but… not here." She murmured.

Link looked back at the statue. No strange feeling came. "Are you sure?" He asked, wondering if Zelda was remembering anything.

"I… I don't… nevermind." She mumbled, turning away from the statue and walking through the crumbled part of the wall. "Come on. The old man said to climb up over here."

Link didn't know what was wrong with Zelda, or what was running through her head, but he shrugged it off. There was no point in worrying about something you can't even remember or know about.

They both walked to the outside of the temple, and sure enough, a rusty looking ladder leading up to the roof was built into the side.

Immediately Zelda walked up to the ladder and started to climb, not even stopping to make sure if it was safe. Link followed behind, giving Zelda some time on the ladder before he started to climb as well.

They were up on the roof in minutes. The roof was made of wood, with a rust-colored paint fading from the grains. They looked over at the steeple that poked up into the blue sky. One of the walls was gone, letting them see into the steeple, and sure enough, the old man was there, standing silently as he watched them.

Except… there was something wrong. As they got closer to the steeple, (stepping carefully on the slanted roof, of course,) Link could make out ominous little green-blue fires floating around the feet of the old man. They were glowing, fading in and out of existence periodically. Link stared at the fires as they climbed into the steeple, standing a good five feet away from the old man.

The old man chuckled. "Took you two long enough." He said gruffly, his eyes shifting between Link and Zelda. "Now then…" The tone of his voice suddenly became serious, as if he were about to proclaim someone's death. "The time has come to show you who I truly am." He paused, his eyes focusing on Zelda. "I was King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule. I was… the last leader of Hyrule. A kingdom which no longer exists…" His words faded as a bright light began to shine from within him. It suddenly grew blindingly intense, forcing Link and Zelda to shield their eyes.

When they looked back, they were both too shocked to speak. Standing before them was a ghost. The old man had been transformed into the ghost of a king. Wearing a large blue coat with gold decor and jewelry, he looked powerful and rich. The hood was gone, revealing his white hair and a crown upon his head. He was floating almost a foot off of the ground, the strange green flames circling him still. He was glowing more intense, as a spirit would do.

Link couldn't believe his eyes. This didn't make any sense. The old man was dead? He spared a glance over at Zelda, who looked as if her entire world had been shattered. Her face was pale and her eyes were filled with confusion.

The old man, or… King Rhoam continued to speak, his voice slow and regretful. "The Great Calamity… a powerful creature of vile malice and hatred escaped from his prison a century ago. He was merciless, devastating everything in its path. It was then when my life was taken away from me, and my beloved kingdom destroyed. And since that time, I've remained here, in spirit form." The king paused, regarding them with a sympathetic gaze. "When you two first stepped out of the cave, I did not think it was wise to overwhelm you with my true identity. And so, I thought it was best to assume a temporary form." He began to walk, or float, to one of the shattered windows of the steeple, facing the horizon as he looked over his shoulder. "Forgive me." He said quietly, not waiting for a response. He continued. "But now… I think you are ready. Ready to hear what happened, 100 years ago."

"To know Calamity Ganon's true form, one must know the story from an age long past. The demon king was born into this kingdom, but his transformation into Malice created a horror unknown to other lands. Stories of Ganon were passed from generation to generation in the form of legends and fairytales. But there was also… a prophecy." The King took a breath, closing his eyes as he recited the words of this 'prophecy'.

"_'The signs of a resurrection of Calamity Ganon are clear. And the power to oppose it lies dormant beneath the ground.'_" He opened his eyes again, his gaze lingering on Zelda only. "We decided to heed the prophecy and began excavating large areas of land. It wasn't long before we discovered several ancient relics, made by the hands of our distant ancestors.

"These relics, the Divine Beasts, were giant machines piloted by warriors. We also found the Guardians, an army of mechanical soldiers who fought autonomously. This coincided with ancient legends often passed throughout our land.

"We also learned of a princess with a sacred power and her appointed knight, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness. It was they who sealed Ganon away using the power of these ancient relics.

"100 years ago, there was a princess set to inherit a sacred power and a skilled knight at her side. It was clear then that we must follow our ancestors' path. We selected four skilled individuals from across Hyrule and tasked them with the duty of piloting the Divine Beasts. With the princess as their commander, we dubbed these pilots Champions-a name that would solidify their unique bond.

"The princess, her appointed knight, and the rest of the Champions were on the brink of sealing away Ganon…" The King paused as if this part of the story was painful to tell.

"But nay… Ganon was cunning, and he responded with a plan beyond our imagining. He appeared from deep below Hyrule Castle, seized control of the Guardians and the Divine Beasts and turned them against us.

"The Champions lost their lives, those residing in the castle as well. The appointed knight, gravely wounded, collapsed while defending the princess… And thus, the kingdom of Hyrule was devastated absolutely by Calamity Ganon." There was a pause, the silence suffocating and torturous. Link was completely dumbfounded. He hadn't even begun to comprehend what the King was saying before he continued.

"However… The princess survived to face Ganon alone. Using the last of her strength and the last of her power, she sealed Ganon into the castle, later collapsing from exhaustion."

Again, the King paused, looking directly at Zelda. "That princess was my own daughter… That was you, my dear Zelda."

Zelda didn't even gasp as the King said this. Link had a feeling she had already figured it out. The King turned, now facing both of them.

"And the courageous knight who protected her right up to the very end… That knight was none other than you, Link. You fought valiantly when your fate took an unfortunate turn. Both of you, the princess and her knight, were taken to the Shrine of Resurrection. Here you now stand revitalized, 100 years later.

"The seal that you, Zelda, placed on Ganon was strong, but it will not last. When Ganon breaks the seal and freely regenerates himself, nothing will stop him from consuming our land.

"Considering that I could not save my own kingdom, I have no right to ask this of you two…" His hands clenched into fists, "But I am powerless here. You both must do whatever it takes to annihilate Ganon, and save my kingdom.

"Somehow, Ganon has maintained control over all four Divine Beasts, as well as those Guardians swarming around Hyrule Castle. I believe it would be quite reckless to head directly to the castle at this point. I believe the Sheikah Slate has a guide for you, already set by Purah. Once you find her, in Hateno Village, she will tell you what you need to know."

The King then smiled, directing their attention to two chests that sat side by side against the wall of the steeple. "In there is the gift I promised you. Well, it's actually more like two gifts. There are two of you after all.

"And...well, I've told you everything I can. There's nothing more I can do for you." The king looked down at Zelda, his eyes filled with guilt and regret. "Zelda… I…" He hesitated, taking a breath. "You must save… Hyrule." And as his voice faded from that last word, so did his entire figure, disappearing into the little green flames that danced in the afternoon breeze. And as the flames themselves faded away, the ominous silence of the ruins filled the steeple.

The King of Hyrule was gone.


	3. Departure

"W-wait…" Zelda croaked, reaching out into nothing. The color from her face was gone, and she looked as if she might start to cry. But then again… Link felt just as worse. Everything now made sense, but that somehow made everything more confusing.

Where to begin? First they face a hideous, terrifying creature that was out for blood, and now they must face an ancient monstrosity that already defeated them 100 years ago? And not to mention that that creature had also destroyed an entire kingdom.

But all of that must have passed right over Zelda's head. She had just met her father who, apparently, was already dead. Link looked over at Zelda, his heart sinking as he saw tears trickling down her cheeks as she stared at the spot where the king had once stood.

"He...he was my dad." She said quietly, looking at Link. "All this time. He was my father, and he didn't care to mention it until now."

Link didn't know what to say. Should he comfort her? Should he stay silent? Hug her? "Do you… remember him?" He asked, wincing as he realized how brunt that sounded.

Zelda sniffed and wiped at the tears on her face. "No. I only have these blurry images in my head. I can't make sense of it." She answered bluntly, walking to the two chests that sat patiently. She bent down and opened one, pulling out a strange contraption made of wood and fabric. It was folded up somehow, but when it was out of the chest it popped open, revealing some sort of glider. It had brown fabric with a large design on it that reminded Link of a bird. Two curved handles came out underneath the fabric.

"It's a paraglider." Zelda said, seemingly forgetting the tear stains on her cheeks. "But there's only one."

In response, Link bent down and opened the second chest, revealing a second paraglider, although when he pulled it out and it popped open, it was completely different. It was a dark, calm purple that didn't draw attention to itself. It had a strange symbol on it, one that almost looked like the symbols that were on the kings blue robe. It was three golden triangles placed in a way that it created a complete triangle, with bird like wings and feet stretching out from it. Zelda reached over and grabbed the paraglider, handing Link the brown one. She stared down at the symbol with sad eyes.

Link regarded Zelda with a worried look. She had brushed off her emotions so quickly. He still couldn't believe everything the king had said. It all seemed like a haze or some fevered dream.

"Zelda…" Link began, struggling to find the right words. "Are you okay?" He asked. The words felt out of place in his mouth.

Zelda made eye contact with Link, a fiery anger in her green eyes. "We need to get off of this plateau. I'll use this one, and you can use that one there that you're holding."

_She brushed the question away. _Link thought to himself, hoping the torment that he was sure was inside Zelda's head wasn't going to blow up in their faces. But, he decided to let the matter go… for now.

Together, they stood and walked to one of the missing windows, paraglider in hand. Zelda stepped in front of Link and raised her paraglider, immediately stepping out of the steeple and into the open air. Link quickly followed suit, jumping for good measure.

The air was refreshing, but the thrill of it all was terrifying. Link knew that if he let one finger slip while soaring through the sky, he'd be dead.

He wouldn't have had it any other way. The view was terrific, and the breeze that pulled eagerly at his clothes was ticklish. He smiled as he clung to the paraglider, dangling his feet over the stretching horizon.

Zelda was just ahead, silently slicing through the air with her purple paraglider. They were almost to the edge of the Great Plateau, and Link could already feel his arms starting to tire. As they soared over the cliffs, the breeze started to feel thicker than fresh honey. His legs seemed to have 100 pound weights tied to them, weighing him down and mercilessly pulling on his arms.

They were closer to the ground now, a long way away from the isolated plateau. Ruins stretched out before them of crumbling roads and roof-lacking buildings, all made up of stone. And just when Link was sure he was going to fall from exhaustion, they landed, Zelda collapsing as her paraglider splattered onto the ground beside her.

"Who knew that would be so exhausting!" Zelda said between breaths, laughing nervously. Her hair was blown out of her face, wildly dancing behind her in the slight breeze that weaved in and out of the ruins.

Link smiled and dropped the paraglider, swinging his arms to loosen his muscles. "I never exp-" The paraglider at Link's feet burst into flames, making Link yelp and jump back in surprise.

A deep rumbling roar sounded from the ruins, when I bokoblin stepped out into the open, wielding a bow and an arrow that was on fire. Except…the bokoblin wasn't the thing that roared. Behind the pig creature stomped out a much taller version of the gurgling monster with the same gross orange color. It's snout was almost as long as Link's sword, swinging and flinging in a disgusting way. A long, thin mouth lay slightly open from the snout, with a surprisingly green tongue flipping out of the side. The giant monster had a large curved horn on top of its tiny head, tall enough to almost look like it could snap at any moment. The rest of its body was hunched over and lanky, with ape-like arms that almost touched the ground and short legs with flat feet.

The giant was wielding a stubby club that seemed to be too small for it. It swung the weapon violently, tilting its head and snout up as it let out another skull-rattling roar. The bokoblin gurgled in suit, almost smiling with its flat, hideous face.

"Let's get out of here!" Zelda exclaimed just as the bokoblin raised it's bow again, taking aim. Link was amazed the thing could actually hold the bow, much less fire it.

Turning and snatching Zelda's hand, Link sprinted into the ruins just as a flaming arrow whistled past them, where he hoped the crumbling buildings would offer protection.

They weaved in and out through different piles of rubble and walls, Link having to catch Zelda from falling multiple times. The ground was peppered with deserted chunks of stone and wood, making it almost impossible not to stumble.

The roar of the giant was still behind him, but Link thought it sounded more distant. The bokoblins strange sounds were completely gone now though, which only quickened Link's steps.

Soon they both left the ruins, finding themselves on a dirt road, leading to a firmly built stone bridge that spanned a wide rushing river. The bridge was definitely used frequently, as little fires flickered in little torches along it. And if it people had been there, maybe the monsters wouldn't follow them onto it. But, maybe they wouldn't have to worry about that. The roar of the giant thing had disappeared, which could only mean two things. Either the monster lost interest and gave up the chase, or it's actually smart enough to try to sneak up on them.

"I… I think we lost it." Zelda said, gasping for air.

Link turned around and narrowed his eyes at the ruins, scanning for any signs that the monster was still pursuing them. He nodded in agreement, facing the bridge again. He briskly jogged to the structure, even if there was no monster in sight. His senses were on alert, which also meant his nerves were as well.

As Zelda followed him onto the bridge, they saw a young man leaning over the railing. He was looking out at something, with his hand on his forehead, preventing the noon-day sun from blinding him. He looked to be an average height, with casual short-trimmed brown hair. His ears were long and pointed, just like Link and Zelda's. He was wearing a thick red shirt with a tan vest over it, with dark blue wooly trousers and high, brown boots and a large pack on his back that looked completely stuffed. All in all, he looked like an average casual man. Except… he was holding a spear. But then again, Link had a sword.

"The end is here…" Link heard the man groan as they walked closer to him. He continued. "I may be somewhat used to seeing bad omens by now, but everything that's been happening… Well, let's just say it's worse than most." He turned, his eyes wide with fear. "We're doomed!" He exclaimed, before his gaze softened. "I mean, don't panic! Sorry. who are you two? Have we met? Well, it doesn't really matter who you guys are, really. I was getting tired of talking to myself, so you've come at a good time."

"What do you mean by… doomed?" Zelda asked, almost tentatively.

The young man sighed, as if Zelda were a naive toddler who didn't know the harsh reality of the world. "Monsters have always been in Hyrule, but ever since yesterday they've popped up all over the place! So, I've been keeping a look on that thing, just to see if it starts moving, ya know?"

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "What thing?"

"I'm talking about that Guardian, of course! Haven't you heard the old stories of Hyrule?" He pointed out across the river, showing them a junk of rusted and moss-covered material sitting on the shorebank. It looked almost like a spider, with a cone-like head with a flat top and a rounded body, with legs sticking out around the whole thing. "See that thing over there? The one shaped like an overturned urn? THAT is what I'm talking about."

He faced them again. "Did you know some of them can move? One of them chased me and tried to kill me!"

"This one here?" Link asked.

"No it was a different one. That one was closer to the castle but before the forest… when they spot you, they shoot beams of light at you! Man, I was so sure that was the end for me. I was prepared for the worst. But I somehow managed to escape into the nearby woods. You think it was my lightning-fast reflexes that saved me?"

The man let out a laugh. "Ha, I wish. Truth is, I just got lucky. Anyway, I hear Guardians like that still wander around Hyrule Castle. Be careful."

Zelda nodded and smiled. "Thank you…"

"Brigo." The man finished for her, giving her a warm smile. "I patrol this bridge, Proxim bridge, so if you two ever need someone to chat with, I'm your man." He smiled again before continuing on his way down the bridge, spear in hand.

Link and Zelda crossed back onto the dirt road and off of Proxim Bridge, looking up at the two looming mountains. They looked like they had once been one, but then a divine being had smacked the rock with an axe, cutting a jagged line in the rock, creating a narrow canyon.

The river that had gushed underneath Proxim Bridge had forked into two, with one burrowing straight through the crack of the two peaks. A wide dirt road ran alongside the river, marking their path.

Zelda pulled out the Sheikah Slate, looking continuously up at the mountains and down at the slate. "Those two mountains are called the Dueling Peaks, and on the other side is a stable." She said, putting the Sheikah Slate back on her hip.

"A stable?" Link repeated.

Zelda nodded in return before beginning to walk. Neither of them had mentioned a thing about that Guardian sitting on the sandy bank of the river, or what Brigo had told them. The Guardian had looked so painfully familiar, and after the story King Rhoam, or… Zelda's father had told them, it appeared to be even more menacing. They knew what those things were capable of.

In truth, Link had wanted to talk to Zelda about it. He not only wanted to make sure she was okay, but he also wanted to confide his muddled feelings in someone. But, maybe silence was the coping mechanism Zelda used with harsh information. Or maybe their supposed past was too painful to talk about right now.

The answer was most likely the latter.

It took almost an hour to walk through the narrow canyon between the Dueling Peaks. The canyon was kept in shadows, as the sun had moved from its high perch and had started its descent to mark the afternoon. The river beside Link and Zelda had proved to be a comforting companion, its rushing waters sounding like slurred whispers; a constant sound to deafen the silence.

Now that they were out of the canyon, they could see a large tent-like structure sitting just over a bridge and by a shallow pond. It was at the edge of a large swamp infested field. The only thing that set Link on edge was the fact that a bunch of decaying Guardians and stone ruins sat scattered throughout the field.

"That's the stable." Zelda said, pointing out the obvious as well as pointing to the stable itself. It had a large horse shaped structure sitting on top of the roof right smack in the center. Link could see people moving around the stable, some with large packs while others seemed to have been staying for a long while.

Without another word, Link and Zelda briskly walked across the bridge, eager to see more faces that weren't mangled like a monsters. They were both tired from walking all day, although neither had admitted to it. Perhaps they could rest at the stable for the night before continuing onto Hateno Village.

They made it across the wooden bridge, able to see the stable better. It had two openings, leading into a wooden floored circular room with beds lining the walls and a simple table with stools in the corner. A desk and a man behind it sat in between the openings, looking outwards to help guests. Cloth covered boxes and crates sat scattered around the stable, with a cooking pot sitting closest to the place. Three horses stood in a small stable, whinnying and snorting as they ate from a trough in front of them.

Zelda walked up to the man at the desk while Link eyed a peculiar dressed man, with a huge pack in the shape of a beetle on his back. it looked painfully heavy, and the man was hunched over from the strain. His face didn't show any signs of struggle though.

"Excuse me, sir, may we each borrowed a horse from you?" She asked, gesturing over to the horses.

The man smiled, amused. "Is this your first time using a stable, miss?"

"Yes…" She answered hesitantly.

The man's amused smile widened. "Well I am sorry to disappoint, but… we don't give you any horses. You have to capture some yourself, and when you need someone to take it off your hands for a short while, that is when you come to the stable." He explained.

Zelda frowned. "You won't let us even _rent_ a horse? Just one?"

Shaking his head, the man's smile turned sympathetic. "I'm afraid not. But, now that the Calamity has disappeared from its last attack 100 years ago, horses have returned to this swamp. You'll find some over in that direction." The man pointed towards a grove of trees by the bridge, where the river continued on along a cliffside.

Zelda looked as if she was about to continue arguing, so Link stepped in, lightly pushing Zelda behind him. "Thank you." He said, his voice rough from being unused. He took Zelda's arm and led her away and towards the grove of trees the man had pointed out for them.

"Isn't that just preposterous? They call themselves a stable and yet they don't even have horses to share." Zelda complained, walking out of Link's grip and pulling ahead. Link didn't reply.

As they walked closer to the grove, they spotted four horses leaning their heads down and gnawing on the grass. Link zeroed in on the horse closest to him, a strong looking horse with a solid dark brown coat and a wild black mane and tail.

He crouched down and started to stealth towards the horse, keeping low to the tall grass. He didn't really know what he was doing, but at least he knew that horses were skittish. They would gallop away at the first sign of danger. And Link assumed he looked _very _dangerous.

Closer and closer he crept, until the horse was only about two feet away from him. Without wasting a second he pounced, leaping up over the horse's backside. Immediately the horse reared, neighing frantically. It raised itself onto its back hooves, kicking it's front legs in an attempt to buck Link off. It worked.

Link was flung off of the horse, getting knocked in the chest with one of the horses back hooves on the way down. Link landed hard onto the ground, groaning in pain. The four horses galloped away, stirred into a panicked frenzy.

"Link!" Zelda cried, hurrying over to him. "Are you okay? That looked painful."

Link's chest was throbbing painfully. The kick hadn't been powerful enough to break anything, but the impact had definitely bruised him.

"I'm fine." Link grumbled in response, wincing as he sat up. He stood, spotting the horses a while away, closer to the shore of the river. He didn't know why, but he wanted that brown horse. When he had seen it, it had struck a chord in him. For some reason, the horse had awakened something in his head, a fuzzy memory of his 100 year old past.

He instantly quietly jogged towards the horses, hiding behind trees for good measure. Zelda stayed behind, watching with interest.

Once he was about ten feet away and hiding behind a tree, Link crouched down again and started his second attempt at catching a horse.

This time, as he leaped up onto the same horse, he was ready for the bucking and rearing. He gripped onto the horses black mane, gritting his teeth as the horse continued to buck around. He continuously patted the horses neck, hoping it would calm down. The other three horses had long since scattered, leaving plenty of room for the horse to panic.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the horse calmed down, shaking its head like a dog. Link patted the horses neck again and muttered a word of comfort, smiling despite himself. Panting, he tried to remember how to ride a horse. Letting his instincts take over like so many times before, he spurred the horse into action, steering it with a clump of its hair in his fist.

The horse trotted up to Zelda, and he smiled down at her with pride.

"Impressive. Perhaps you could get me one as well?" Zelda asked, inspecting the horse with wonder.

The horse nickered and shook its head again. Link quickly comforted his newly caught steed, calming it down.

Link gave Zelda a look, his eyes telling her his response. _I am not doing that again._

Zelda returned the look with one of annoyance just as she placed her hands on her hips. "Then we'll have to share." She said firmly, turning on her heel and walking back towards the stable. Link again spurred the horse into a slow trot, following behind the stubborn girl in front of him.

When Link brought the horse up to the counter, the man seemed impressed. He told them that usually you had to pay 20 rupees, (at the mention of it Zelda and Link remembered the type of currency in Hyrule,) for a saddle and bridle, but he had told them that he would let them off for free since it was their first horse. He also mentioned that they looked horrible, tired, and hungry.

But at the mention of them having a bed to sleep in for the night, the man had declined the request despite their weary looks. "Two beds cost 40 rupees, 20 for each. But, there's some apples over on that crate for free."

Zelda and Link walked away from the stable, Link having put his newly caught steed, (he hadn't thought up a name for it yet,) into the stable. They trudged over to the apples. Link hadn't realized how hungry he was until the man had pointed it out. Sure enough, there were three apples sitting on one of the crates by the cooking pot. Link reached out and grabbed one, handing two to Zelda. She took them with a short smile.

"How are we going to get 40 rupees?" Zelda asked, taking a bite from one of the apples while the second rested in her other hand.

Link pulled out his sword in response, showing Zelda the blade. "We could sell this." He offered. He took his own bite from the fresh, red fruit.

Zelda frowned as she looked at the beaten up weapon. "We can try." She mumbled.

Turning his head, Link made eye contact with that strange merchant from before with the large pack, who was now sitting on the ground in front of the stable, a small makeshift counter sitting on his lap. The merchant smiled, an overly-cheery smile, and beckoned for them to come over.

They went over, stopping before the merchant. The man rested his hands on the counter, looking eager to buy or sell. "You two must be new! I'm Beedle! If you ever forget, just look at my beetle shaped pack! It's not hard to miss!" Beedle's voice was higher than normal, with an enthusiastic tone that almost sounded fake.

"Yes, hello sir, we-" Zelda began, but she was cut off with a loud chuckle from Beedle.

"Please, no sirs! I'm known as Beedle!"

Zelda gave the merchant an annoyed look before continuing. "Of course, _Beedle_. We were wondering how much you would be willing to give to us for this." She said, pulling the sword out of Link's sheath.

Beedle took the sword out of Zelda's hands, taking a closer look at the blade. He frowned. "Well it isn't much!" He laughed. "But maybe I could give you 10?"

Zelda placed her hands on her hips. "20." She said firmly.

Beedle frowned, but it was more that of a guilty animal. "Can we settle on 15?"

"We need 40 rupees for two beds." Zelda retorted.

At this Beedle smiled largely. "Why don't you guys share a bed for 20?"

Zelda's face grew red, and Link could feel his own face grow warm. "W-we would rather have our own. One each." Zelda replied, her voice sounding flustered.

"I will give you 20, only because you both look so tired!" Beedle chuckled again. "If you're going to be traveling together, then you better get used to being with each other!"

With the red still prominent on her cheeks, Zelda folded her arms. "Fine." She snapped. Beedle let out a whoop and reached behind him, fumbling with something before handing a single red rupee out to Zelda. She picked it from his open hand, her face still red, but not as bright as the new shiny rupee. It was close though. Even if Zelda hadn't kept arguing for 40 rupees, Link doubted she would let him sleep with her on the same bed, and he was just fine with that.

Beedle bid them farewell, slicing the sword through the air like a child would do. Link finished off his apple, tossing the core out into the grass. Zelda still had the second one, but she didn't look like she wanted to eat it. Link wanted to ask for it, as he was still hungry, but he decided against it. Zelda already looked flustered enough.

She walked up to the counter, placing the red rupee onto the wooden surface. "One bed, please." She said.

The man took the rupee and nodded. "Just inside. Although, I wouldn't go to bed quite yet." He said, indicating how the sun hadn't started to set yet.

Zelda nodded in return. "Of course." And with that, Zelda and Link walked over to the cooking pot, sitting on the makeshift stools from stumps. Silence wrapped around the two, suffocating them until Zelda was the first to speak.

"You need to name your horse." Zelda said, breaking the wrap of silence between them.

Link looked up from the pot. "What should I name him?"

"It's a him?"

He nodded.

Zelda thought for a moment. "Brown….ie?" She said hesitantly, smiling as if to say 'that's not too horrible, right?'

Amused, Link smiled and shook his head. "How about Caviar?" He asked.

"Caviar?" Zelda repeated, nodding her head slightly. "I like the sound of that."

Link returned his gaze to the fire under the cooking pot. "I'll sleep out here." He said.

Ignoring the sudden change of subject, Zelda replied. "Are you kidding? It's going to get freezing out here. You'll be sleeping in the stable."

Again, Link looked up at Zelda. "On the floor?" He asked, confused.

"If you really want to." Zelda's face was starting to grow red again.

"Do you want me to?"

Zelda suddenly looked like a cornered animal. "I mean I was going to let you sleep in the bed with- or… next to m-me." She stumbled through the sentence, almost painfully.

Link had to hold back a smile. "Then we'll share." He didn't really see the problem. After all, they barely remembered anything anyways.

Now Zelda's face was completely red, just as it had been before. She didn't say anything as the fire crackled merrily underneath the cooking pot. Link subconsciously felt at the empty leather band where his sword had been, feeling strangely bare without a weapon.

The silence didn't last long between them. "If those pig things are bokoblins, what do you think those giants are?" Zelda asked randomly. The question was enough to infuse the air with an awkward atmosphere.

Link shrugged.

Zelda sighed, standing. "I'm going to walk around the stable." She said, looking down at Link as if to ask him if he wanted to come. He didn't look up from the pot. "You don't have to come…" She mumbled, walking away with an annoyed posture.

After she had rounded the bend, Link looked up to where she had disappeared. His eyes shifted to a rusted body of a Guardian, thriving moss wrapping around the inanimate husk. His thoughts wandered to what the king had told them. It seemed so long ago, even though it was simply that morning. "_The Champions lost their lives, those residing in the castle as well. The appointed knight, gravely wounded, collapsed while defending the princess…" _Link's head spun. Who exactly were the Champions? Did he know them well? "_The appointed knight, gravely wounded, collapsed while defending the princess…" _By collapsing did the king mean… dead? What exactly happened 100 years ago? Was he really Zelda's "appointed knight"?

So many questions needed answers, but Link wasn't sure he'd like them all when he got them.


	4. Hateno Village

The next morning Link and Zelda left right as the sun peeked over the hills, (after splitting the last apple from the other night,) staying silent about the fact that they had shared a bed for the night. Link got Caviar from the stable, introduced the horse to his new name, and set off for Hateno Village.

The first day of the trip was quiet. Link sat in front of Zelda, grasping onto the reins tighter then he needed to as they passed the graveyard of Guardians in the swampy field. It set him on edge for some reason.

They passed through a large stone wall that was practically falling apart. Rusting Guardians crouched frozen in time, their spindly legs arched like a spiders. According to the Sheikah Slate, the stone wall was called Fort Hateno, and the graveyard of Guardians was the Ash Swamp.

After that they trotted through a narrow canyon and the ruins of a riding course, slowly getting closer and closer to their destination. Caviar was proving to be especially durable despite the long ride. The sun was just hovering over the canyon top when Zelda pointed out the first sign of civilization.

"Look! Do you see that? It looks like some sort of…" Her voice trailed away as she pointed towards the direction of the village. Link followed her finger, spotting a strange looking building resting on top of a large mountain peak. A large plume of smoke from a furnace rose from it, indicating life.

Caviar soon rounded a bend, having walked high enough so that Link and Zelda were able to get their first look at the entire Hateno Village just as sunlight was beginning to lessen.

They had finally arrived. The village looked welcoming and warm, even though the temperature was cold enough to make Link wish he had a wooly coat. The old clothes that were too small for him didn't quite protect him from the elements. Zelda looked fine, though.

The village itself looked large and flourishing, with plenty of tan homes with sturdy looking roofs. The building closer to the shallow mountain had more windmills on them, barely moving in the slight breeze. Flickering lights of torches and candles soon began to light up the village, creating a comforting atmosphere. Here you wouldn't be seeing any monsters.

Most of the village folk had already turned in for the night, but there was one man with a pitch fork, eyeing them as he paced back and forth in front of the only entrance into the village.

Link nudged Caviar forward, stopping next to the guy who was suddenly pointing his pitch fork at them like a weapon. "State your business!" He demanded.

Suddenly, the village didn't look as welcoming as before. "We're trying to find a lady named Purah." Zelda explained calmly, leaning to the side so that the man could see her.

The man's grip loosened on his pitchfork. "Purah? I think she's the lab director living on top of that hill." He said, pointing with one had to the strange building that they had seen before on the mountain peak. The man looked back at them, no longer pointing his pitchfork at them. Apparently, this man was easy to cave. "It's almost night, though. There's an inn down at the end of the road that you can use for the night."

"Thank you." Zelda smiled as Link nudged Caviar into a trot. Following the man's directions, he directed Caviar to the inn.

The inn was one of the largest buildings there. It had one flickering light seen through a small window, but other than that it was dark. Link slid off of Caviar, helping Zelda down before rubbing Caviar's neck in gratitude. He wished he had an apple to give their new companion, but he himself and Zelda hadn't eaten all day except that half of an apple that morning. Needless to say, they were famished.

Despite this, Link led Caviar into the nearby stable, next to a donkey that was gnawing on some hay. A large pack filled with who knows what sat next to it. Caviar nickered and lowered his head, picking at the hay that was already on the ground in his stable. Link grabbed a rope that was already hooked to one of the posts and tied it onto Caviar's bridle. He patted the horse again and turned, walking with Zelda into the inn.

The inside of the building looked bigger than it had from the outside. Off to one room lay multiple beds, two of them already occupied by travelers. But that didn't matter. There was plenty of room. In another room was a kitchen that looked used, and in the main room, or lobby, sat a bunch of tables and a counter to the side. A content looking girl stood behind the counter, smiling at them in welcome. Zelda led the way, smiling back.

"Hello, I'm sorry we have come in so late." Zelda began, clasping her hands together in front of her. Link stood a good three feet behind her, determined to keep out of the conversation.

The girl's smile grew warmer and she giggled quietly, as to not wake the occupants already asleep. "Oh, it's not an issue, really. Now, how many beds? You can pay 20 for one bed or 40 for the extra soft beds." Link's heart sank. They didn't have any rupees, let alone anything to trade.

Zelda's smile fell as she realized the very same thing. "Oh… uh, well you see…" She trailed off again, sighing.

The girl's gaze turned sympathetic. "Rough traveling?" She said with a tilt of the head. She glanced at Link. "You both look starving. Have you not any money?"

Zelda shook her head, obviously embarrassed.

Frowning, the girl sighed. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you have a bed. That would be against our policy, you see, but perhaps I could give you something to eat." She said, walking around the counter and towards the kitchen. She reached up and opened a cupboard, pulling out a loaf of bread. She split it in two and handed a piece to both Link and Zelda. Link looked at the bread with distaste. It was nice of the girl to give them food, yes, but he didn't want to get by on other people's pity.

"Thank you!" Zelda said, taking a bite from the soft bread. Link took a bite as well, surprised by it's warmth. It tasted like it had been made only hours before they had arrived.

The girl nodded happily. "Of course! Now um… I can't let you have a bed…"

Zelda picked up on what the girl was saying. "Yes, yes. We'll leave." She finished for her, glancing at the beds in the other room before heading towards the door. Link followed, already resolving to sleeping on the dirt.

The night air was chilly but not unbearably so. Link and Zelda crouched by a fire off to the side of the road by the inn, having already finished their bread.

"What do you suppose we do? How can we get any rupees?" Zelda asked softly, staring at the fire with a miserable expression. Behind them, still in the stable, Caviar nickered softly at the sound of their voices.

Link frowned in thought. "Maybe I could go hunting and sell some meat."

"Hunt with what? You sold your sword to that Beedle man." Zelda pointed out.

Sighing, Link looked away from the fire. "Right." He mumbled.

Zelda paused for a moment. "Maybe we could work for someone?"

Link raised an eyebrow. "For who? It's already night."

Frustrated, Zelda looked at Link with annoyed eyes. "Then where are we supposed to sleep?"

Link thought it was obvious. "Out here."

Zelda didn't look happy about it, but she reluctantly agreed. She hesitantly laid down on the grass, facing the fire. Link followed suit, lying down on the opposite side. He stared at the fire for a moment, before closing his eyes.

He was sore from riding all day, he was hungry despite the bread, and he was dead tired. But he was as content as could be. He was sure they would find food tomorrow, along with some rupees. And if they didn't, well then they would have to rely on Purah. According to the recording from the moment they had woken up, Purah was a friend. And hopefully, she was the kind of friend that lent you money and food.

The next morning when Link woke up, the sun was just barely starting to rise. Zelda was still asleep, and no one was out of their homes except for some farmers out in their fields. Link rolled onto his knees and stood, wincing as his sore muscles groaned in complaint.

Link looked across the dirt road, spotting an apple tree with fresh, red apples hanging from the branches. Instantly Link jogged to the apple tree, picking some and holding them in his old shirt. He wasn't sure if the apples belonged to anyone, but he simply told himself that almost no one was awake yet to witness the theft.

Hearing a snort behind him, Link turned to find Caviar staring at him, as if he were judging Link for taking the apples. Link raised an eyebrow and walked over to Caviar. "I was going to give you one." He said, holding an apple in one hand out for Caviar to eat.

The horse whinnied happily and ate the apple, chewing it and swallowing it in half a second. Link smiled slightly and gave Caviar another one, walking back to the fire, or… what was once a fire. It was burnt out now, leaving blackened wood in a small pitiful clump. Link still had two apples left, and he placed one by Zelda before taking a bite from his own. He tried not to think that all he had eaten for the past two days was an apple, half of a loaf of bread, and… another apple.

Zelda awoke just five minutes later, sleepily thanking Link for the apple, not asking where he had gotten it from. After she finished it, she was awake and full of sudden energy, practically begging Link to get Caviar out so that they could ride to see Purah.

"The dot says Purah is on top of the hill." She said excitedly, showing Link the blinking yellow dot on the map before putting the Sheikah Slate away. "So let's go!"

Link said nothing as he gently lead Caviar out of the stable, patting the side of his neck before swinging his legs over onto the saddle. Zelda climbed on behind him, and they were off, trotting up the winding dirt road to the top of the hill.

It didn't take long for them to get there. As they wound around the last bend, the strange looking building from before came into view. Up close it looked even weirder. It was a wooden house with a tower built right next to it. The tower looked like the other mills in the village, but instead of a windmill, it had a roof with a rusting Guardian on it. And not only that, but it also had hastily built stairs winding around it. Sticking out of the tower wall and stretching across the roof of the wooden home was a huge long telescope that looked to be made of the same material as the Guardians. The only normal thing about the place was the white smoke billowing up out of a chimney from the house.

Link led Caviar to a nearby tree, jumping off of his steed with Zelda following suit. He didn't bother tying him to a tree or anything.

As Link and Zelda turned towards the building and started walking towards it, Link saw something else that reminded him of the cave he and Zelda had woken up in. It looked like a furnace, but it was in the shape of a hot air balloon. It had a fancy torch sitting in front of it, with a strange blue fire shimmering and crackling heartily.

"What do you suppose that is?" Zelda asked.

Link only shrugged and opened the door to the wooden house.

"What are you doing?" Zelda hissed, following Link into the house. "We can't be...in.." Her voice trailed away as they spotted a little girl no older than 6 standing on a stool, holding a sheet of paper that she had apparently been reading. Only now, her big brown eyes were trained on them.

She had on a thick poofy dress on that was a light tan color with red and blue. She was also wearing dark blue tights and little shoes that matched the blue on her dress. On her back was a red pack with who knows what inside. On her face she had large red glasses that had eyelashes made into the frames, as if it was some part or her own peculiar fashion style.

All in all, she looked like a normal little girl, except for the fact that her hair was completely white like fresh snow as if she were 100 years old. Except… her hair was full and thick, not old, pulled into a large bun with a strange decorations planted into it of a face with two blue eyes half closed as if they were about to fall asleep, and little red sticks behind that.

"Princess Zelda? Linky? You guys are finally awake!" The girl cheered, smiling brightly. She winked at them, which was odd for a six year old. "Took your time, now didn't ya?"

Zelda seemed embarrassed to be called "Princess" Zelda, and Link was just downright offended to be called "Linky" by a stranger. It was worse when that little stranger was younger than you. "Who are you?" Link asked.

The little girl rolled her eyes then giggled like it was the funniest thing in the world. "I'm Purah! If that stupid resurrection thingy hadn't messed with your lil' minds, then you'd know that."

Zelda's embarrassment turned into excitement. "You're the one who left the recording?"

In the response the little girl did a little jump, holding up two fingers and her thumbs in each hand in some sort of gesture. "Check it!" She cried, as if that answered Zelda's question.

Purah giggled as if this whole situation was the funniest thing she'd ever experienced. "You guys look so confused!" She joked. "Let me enlighten you.

"So basically, 100 years ago, Zelda, you were a princess. And lil' Linky here was your appointed knight, and-"

"We already know." Zelda interrupted bluntly.

Purah hesitated before replying, obviously offended by the interruption. "Who told you?" She huffed, stomping her little kid feet onto the stool.

Zelda fell silent, casting her eyes downward. She looked almost angry. Link took that as a sign to speak up. "King Rhoam." He informed Purah.

Purah stared. "King Rhoam?" She scoffed. "He's been dead for 100 years! Are you sure you know everything? I didn't expect the Shrine of Resurrection to damage your brains so severely as to cause hallucinations, but it could be a possibility…"

Link shifted uncomfortably. "He was dead. He disguised himself as an old man before telling us everything as a spirit." He glanced at Zelda, who was still staring at the ground.

Giggling again, Purah showed no empathy towards the fact that King Rhoam was Zelda's father. "Why disguise himself as an old man?" She asked, not waiting for an answer as she continued. "I mean he was an old coot anyways, so I guess that wasn't very different, am I right?"

Zelda's fingers balled into fists. "He did it to protect himself." She snarled, her face red with sudden anger. "He could've spent more time with me, but he didn't. He could've told me sooner that he was my father, but he didn't. Instead, he hid away in a dirty hood like a coward!" Zelda's voice rose to a shout at that last word, silencing Purah. Link didn't know what to do or say as Zelda continued her rant. "But even as a coward, he didn't love me. If he was able to stay as a spirit for so long while we were asleep, then why isn't he with me now? Why isn't he trying to help me remember? Why is he being so selfish?!"

Purah pursued her lips. "He's the _king_." She mumbled. "He can do whatever he wants."

Zelda glared at Purah with her torment filled eyes. "Maybe he can do anything, maybe he can bring my memories back, and maybe he has the power to shut your mouth, but he won't!" She took a threatening step forward. "You have no idea what I'm feeling inside right _now._" She growled. "Do you know what it's like? Only having bits and pieces of what people have told you? Little fragments that you'll never piece together? Its torture!" Zelda laughed scornfully. "But my father didn't care, now did he. And apparently, you don't care either."

Link quickly stepped in as Zelda continued to give Purah a murderous glare. "Purah, what did you want to tell us?" He asked, putting an arm out between Zelda and the little girl on the stool.

With her hands on her hips, Purah replied without looking away from Zelda. "You guys already know, thanks to the king, so this whole trip was a waste of your time." She snapped, holding out her hand. "If you give me the Sheikah Slate, I can set your new destination, as well as install some helpful tools that you'll most likely need."

Zelda bared her teeth at Purah, showing no sign of cooperation. Link quickly grabbed the Slate from Zelda's hip and handed it to Purah, who instantly began working on who knows what. Link stared at Zelda with worry. He knew that she was feeling some conflicting emotions, but he didn't know how furious or grief filled she really was. Perhaps dealing with them earlier could have stemmed her torment before they got off of the plateau. Instead, Zelda had jumped out of the Temple of Time, gliding straight down into Hyrule. She gave no time for thinking or confessing. And now, with a simple poke in the wrong direction, Purah had popped the inflating balloon that held all of that pain. Now it was flowing out with no sign of slowing down.

While Link was thinking this, he didn't realize that Purah had jumped off of the stool and walked to a strange contraption, which had then dripped a peculiar blue liquid onto the Slate before she picked the Sheikah Tech back up and roughly handed it back to Link. "I also fixed up 12 pictures that were kept on the Slate. The woman you need to see in Kakariko is named Impa. She'll tell you morons what you need to know."

Link nodded and lightly grabbed Zelda's arm, the Sheikah Slate in his other hand.

"Let's go." He said quietly.

Zelda remained stubborn. "My father may have been a coward, but he was better then you'll ever be." She murmured venomously, turning away from Purah and stomping ahead of Link and out of the home.

Before Link could leave, Purah called out to him. "There are four Runes on the Sheikah Slate that you can use. Stasis, Magnesis, Cryonis, and Remote Bombs. I'll leave you two to figure that out, since your pretty princess obviously doesn't want my help."

Link glanced over his shoulder at the little girl, before he silently closed the door behind him. He quickly jogged up to Zelda who was already to Caviar. But she hadn't gotten on yet. Her shoulders were shaking and her hand was covering her mouth. Link quickened his steps, awkwardly putting his hand on her shoulder.

She was crying. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and sobs racked her now fragile frame. She looked up at Link with a grief filled gaze, her hand falling away from her mouth. Link stared into her eyes, seeing only a hint of the vast reservoir that she had kept filling for the past few days. She suddenly rushed into a hug, wrapping her arms tightly around him as she continued to cry.

Hesitant at first, Link wrapped his arms in return, tightening the embrace of comfort and understanding. He knew of the same torture that she had ranted about at Purah, of only having bits and pieces of little things. But to take that very same torture and magnify it with a long dead father made Zelda's suffering that much worse.

Zelda continued to cry into Link's shoulder, her breathing coming softer as the sobs left her body. "I'm sorry…" She mumbled.

"It… it's okay." He replied quietly. "...Are you alright?"

Zelda took a deep breath and pulled out of the embrace, wiping at her now red, puffy eyes. "Y-yeah…" She whispered, sniffing. "I just wish… I just wish I knew more, like maybe why he didn't want to talk to me as a father, and why he seemed so… uncomfortable when he looked at me. I want to remember."

"I… I'm sure the king didn't mean any harm. He might've felt guilty about seeing you here after he failed to protect you, or maybe he's so grief ridden as a spirit he doesn't realize he's hurting you by staying silent."

Zelda thought about that for a moment. "But why? I don't understand…" She trailed off, staring down at her feet.

"Well, maybe this Impa lady at Kakariko will have all of the answers." Link offered quietly, giving Zelda a small smile as he held up the map on the Sheikah Slate, which now had a new yellow, blinking dot at Kakariko Village.

Nodding, Zelda smiled back at Link and gave him another quick hug. "Thank you." She murmured, pulling out of the embrace and climbing onto Caviar. "But this time I'm riding in front." She said, her familiar confidence having returned.

Link sighed, remembering that 100 years ago, being Zelda's knight, she could order him to do anything. "Sure." He replied, climbing on behind Zelda.

She nudged Caviar with her heels and they were off, trotting briskly back down the hill. Link instantly regretted letting Zelda ride in front of him. Her long, golden hair was blowing in his face, thanks to the sharp breeze that waffed around them. Silently keeping his complaints to himself, he turned his head, ignoring the thick hair that was continually slapping him in the side of his head.

"Link…" Zelda began, brushing her hair in front of her, unaware that Link had just breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hm?"

"Well...I uh…" Zelda cleared her throat before continuing. "That's the first time I've really gotten anything out of you." She said, continuing when she realized Link wasn't going to say anything. "I mean… That's the first time you've really ever talked to me. Why are you always so quiet? I couldn't hold my emotions in back there… so how do you?"

The question caught Link off guard. "I just think it's better to… not get involved."

"Of course it's better to be involved!" Zelda argued. "Why wouldn't it?"

Link felt uncomfortable. "Well, maybe people would be better off not knowing what's in my head." He said, feeling troubled. Was he like this 100 years ago?

Zelda thought for a moment before speaking a little quieter with a hint of sympathy. "You don't want to burden others with your troubles. Is that it?"

Link didn't reply. He looked away from Zelda, staring at the landscape that slowly dragged by.

"Okay… we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Zelda mumbled.

They had made it down the hill. They slowly trotted through the village, the sounds of the villagers chattering filling the void of silence between Link and Zelda. After they got out of the village and were back in the wild, Zelda spoke.

"I'm moving on." She said confidently.

"What?"

Zelda glanced over her shoulder for a moment. "From my father. There's no point in grieving for someone long gone who doesn't care for me. It'll only make things worse then they already are."

Link kept to himself, not wanting to open up any more to Zelda. She had prodded right where Link had no desire for her to. He had actually wondered about his silence himself. He always found himself wondering what he was like 100 years ago, what Zelda was like, and how Hyrule thrived. He wanted to feel connected again. He wanted to have all of the puzzle pieces fit perfectly back together in his mind.

To put it simply, Zelda had moved on where Link hadn't.

**Now, before anyone gets confused as to why Purah was kind of a brat back there, do remember that the age-decreasing effects of her made up rune changed her attitude as well. If you read her diary (at the very tippy top of the stairs in a little room,) you can see her attitude changing through the words she uses, such as: when she starts getting younger, she calls Link "Linky" and complains about how long he's been sleeping, revealing her now child-like demeanor.**


	5. Guidance

After staying a night outside by the stable, Link and Zelda were back on Caviar with some freshly cooked meat resting happily in their stomachs, thanks to one of the travelers staying at the stable when they had arrived.

The trip to Kakariko didn't take very long; maybe only half of the day. They had just passed under a wooden gate marking the first sign of civilization when the sun reached its peak.

They rounded another tight bend in the narrow valley until it opened up to reveal the village.

It was embedded into the valley, surrounded by tall rounded mountains and hills. The houses scattered across the village were wooden with drooping roofs that almost touched the ground like a tent. Large willow trees thrived around the homes, as if nature was trying to eat the village.

Zelda led Caviar down a dirt road that led them to a larger home sitting on top of a long set of wooden stairs. The dot on the Sheikah Slate told them that Impa was in there.

As they came close to the start of the stairs, two guards took fighting positions, staring at Link and Zelda warily. Zelda jumped off of Caviar with Link following suit.

"Who are you, and what business do you-" One of the guards began, cutting himself off when he noticed the Sheikah Slate on Zelda's hip. "Prin… princess Zelda?"

Zelda's cheeks flushed. "Just Zelda." She corrected.

The guards eyes turned to Link. "And Master Link! You're awake! You're here!"

Link felt slightly embarrassed to be called "Master Link," but only slightly. It sounded right, like if people kept calling him that a little piece of his mind would string itself together.

"Please, excuse my rudeness. Impa is inside." The guard instructed, pointing up the stairs to the large wooden home. Behind it were three small waterfalls, humming in a whispering way as the clear, calming waters trickled down the uneven cliff face.

Zelda nodded at the guard, glancing at Link before starting up the stairs. After their little exchange with Purah, Link wasn't as excited to meet this Impa lady. In fact, he was almost scared.

When they got to the top, Link noticed a young girl on her knees scrubbing the floor. She was wearing clothes similar to Purah's, but they were more modest and mature, not childish like Purah's short, poofy dress.

"Excuse me? Are you Impa?" Zelda asked politely.

The girl almost jumped ten feet into the air. She hastily stood, flinching as she saw Link and Zelda. "I...I'm Im-not Impa." She fumbled, dropping the rag she was scrubbing with before in her panic.

Zelda quickly picked up the rag for her. "That's okay. We were just wondering." She explained, smiled comfortingly as she handed the rag back to the young woman.

The girl gasped as she got a better look at Zelda's face. "You...You're p-p-princess Zel..Zelda!" She exclaimed, her eyes shifting to Link. She gasped again and covered her face with her hands, yet again dropping the rag. "And you're...you… you're m-master Link!"

"Would you mind telling us your name?" Zelda asked.

"I-I'm… I'm p-p-p-pay..pa… I mean-oh my name is Paya!" She cried, her voice shaking. She sounded like she was going to start crying.

Zelda glanced at Link worriedly. "Hi Paya. We didn't mean to disturb you."

Paya's face grew as red as a fresh apple. "You dis-didn't d-d-distub-urb me."

"I'm glad to hear that." Zelda said. She picked the rag up again and handed it to Paya. "Nice to meet you, Paya."

"Nice..to...meet..." Paya's mumbles were lost as she hastily turned and got back onto her hands and knees, scrubbing with renewed vigor.

Again glancing at Link, Zelda turned and opened both of the double doors with one heavy shove, stepping inside. Link followed, keeping the doors open behind him. He narrowed his eyes in the dim lantern light.

In the back of the large room, an old, small woman sight on a stack of pillows. She wore an enormous hat with chains dangling off of the sides that weighed her head down so that they couldn't see her face. Her clothes were similar in color and style to Paya's. In fact, everyone in the village they had seen so far wore the same tan, blue and red clothes. It must be their thing.

"So… you're finally awake." The old woman croaked. Her voice sounded used and worn out. It was the sound of crackling firewood in the rain. She lifted her head, revealing a blue symbol on her forehead. It was the same symbol that was on the back of the Sheikah Slate, with the eye and tear seeping out of it. The old woman smiled. "It's been quite a long time, has it not?"

Zelda stepped forward. "So you're Impa?"

Smile growing, the woman nodded. "Why of course. Purah told me the Shrine of Resurrection would deal damage to your memories, but you remember me, don't you?"

"No… we don't remember anything." Zelda said.

The smile faded from Impa's face. "Ah… I see. How unfortunate." She paused, studying their faces. "Do you know of what happened 100 years ago?"

Zelda looked away, but she didn't seem distraught. She fixed her gaze back on Impa. "Yes. Purah told us."

Link glanced at Zelda, curious as to why she lied. Maybe she had said she'd moved on from her father, but perhaps it was still hurting her deep inside.

Impa nodded wisely. "I thought as much. Did she tell you anything else?"

Link butted in before Zelda could say anything. "She said there were runes that she installed onto the Sheikah Slate." Zelda gave him a questioning look, to which he replied, "You had left before she could tell both of us."

Zelda grabbed the Sheikah Slate from her hip. She played with it for a few moments, before coming to a screen with five boxes filled with a tiny picture for each. Impa held out her hand, obviously wanting the Slate. Zelda obeyed and placed the Sheikah Tech into the old woman's hand.

Impa's eyes scanned over the Slate's screen before she smiled. "Yes… Purah told me of these runes 100 years ago." She said. "These two blue ones here," she began, holding she Sheikah Slate with the screen facing Link and Zelda, pointing to two blue runes with a bony finger. "these are remote bombs. They will create either a boxed or rounded bomb, based on which one you chose, and you will be able to denote it whenever you please. This red one, Magnesis, will allow you to control metal objects, the yellow one, Stasis, lets you pause monsters or objects mid-action, and this blue one, Cryonis, here will create an ice pillar in water. This last one, a Camera, will obviously allow you to create true-to-life images, or pictures if you will. It's quite remarkable really." Impa explained, handing the Slate back to Zelda. "However, I must ask why Purah didn't explain this to you two while you were there."

Zelda's gaze fell, and she fidgeted with the Slate before holding it back to Impa. "Well, she also said something about the pictures on this." She said, dodging the question completely. Impa gave her a strange look, but accepted the Sheikah Slate nonetheless.

The old woman quietly studied the pictures, a contemplating look on her wrinkled face. A light seemed to go off in her head. "Ah! I do believe these pictures are the key to regaining your memories."

Zelda's eyes widened. "What?"

Now Impa was smiling. "My dear Princess-"

"Just Zelda is fine." Zelda interrupted.

"Very well… Zelda, you took these pictures 100 years ago on your travels with Link." Impa's gaze fell on Link. "If you revisit these locations, you may be able to recover your memories from there."

Link tried not to show his anticipation. At the thought of regaining his memories, he was ready to sprint to the opposite side of Hyrule.

"I suggest going here." Impa instructed, holding up the Sheikah Slate for Link and Zelda to see. One of the pictures filled the entire screen. It was a picture of a large stone gate with a distant snowy mountain behind it that punctured the clouds. "That gate there is the East Gate along Lanayru Road. The mountain behind it is Mount Lanayru. You should be able to find the location on your map."

Zelda took the Sheikah Slate from Impa's hands, looking at the picture. Link looked over her shoulder, eager to get moving. "Thank you, Impa." Zelda said.

"Of course." Impa replied. "Once you regain that memory, return here. I have a gift for each of you."

Nodding, Zelda bid Impa farewell. Link simply held up his hand. They left the large lantern-lighted house, waving goodbye to Paya on their way down the shallow steps. The guards bowed their heads in respect as they climbed onto Caviar. One of the guards stepped forward, holding out a blade in a sheath. It was just barely longer than Link's arm.

"Take this with you, Master Link." The guard said. "This is a newly crafted Eightfold Blade. I hope it fares you well." Link took the sword, pulling it halfway out of its sheath. It certainly looked brand new.

"Thank you." Link said. The guard nodded and stepped back as Link nudged Caviar into a quick trot. Zelda had the Sheikah Slate out, and she directed Link out of the village with the map.

They climbed up a small hill and through a grove of trees before galloping through another narrow canyon. Kakariko was embedded in the middle of mountains and hills, making the place secluded with only a few entrances and exits.

Soon they broke out of the canyon and found themselves at a crossroads. A sign poked out of the ground in the grass next to them with arrows pointing down the two possible roads. Some writing was written onto the arrows, but they were too far away to read it. A young man was standing by the sign, looking at them with dark brown eyes. He was tall, pale and skinny with wild black hair that shuffled in the breeze. He regarded them with a strange glint in his eye, as if he knew something they didn't. It set Link on edge, and he placed his hand on the hilt of his new sword.

"Ahoy there!" The man exclaimed, waving his arm in greeting.

Link stopped Caviar, and Zelda slid off. Link followed, keeping his hand on the hilt of his sword. As they approached the stranger, Link saw his eyes flick to the sword swinging in its sheath, then back to Zelda. It was fast and calculated. Instantly Link knew that this man was more than a simple traveler.

"Hello." Zelda smiled. They shook hands.

The man smiled back. "What brings you two here? Not many take this road. It's become infested with monsters."

"We're trying to find this place." Zelda said, holding up the Sheikah Slate to show the man the image that had appeared on the screen.

The man's brow furrowed in concentration until a light seemed to go off in his head. "Oh! Why, that's East Gate!"

Zelda nodded.

The man chuckled. "Oho but you'll have to ride fast, my friend! There's monsters everywhere along that way!"

"Thank you for the warning." Zelda said politely, turning away from the man.

"Wait, wait, wait!" The man stopped Zelda with a hand on her shoulder. Link's grip tightened on his sword. "I had the strangest dream last night! Would you like to hear it?"

Zelda turned to face the man again. The stranger took that as a sign to go on. "In my dream, I was in a strange cave of some sort." The man held out his hands, waving them dramatically as he wove his tale. "I was lying in some sort of bed with this liquid around me, and I didn't know where or who I was!" The man chuckled and shook his head. "Then, when I sat up, I saw another bed thing next to me, and I saw a girl lying in it, just like me! Crazy, right?"

Smiling nervously, Zelda glanced at Link worriedly. "Hah… yeah… crazy." She said.

The man chuckled again and placed his hand on Zelda's shoulder once more as he looked at Link. "Doesn't that sound familiar… hero?" The man growled, his eyes turning murderous as he suddenly lunged at Link, a burst of smoke hiding him for a second before revealing a red suited figure with a strange white mask over his face. The man swiped a vicious looking sickle at Link, who jumped back just in time. The mask over his face had a symbol that looked like the eye on the Sheikah Slate, but it was upside down and it was a deep blood red.

Link pulled out his sword, his senses instantly on high alert. He stared at the man with complete and utter confusion, crouching into a fighting position. The man laughed, the sound muffled by his mask. "Betcha don't remember this symbol, now do yah?" The man growled, tapping his mask with his free hand.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Link replied, frantically searching his mind for any memories of the symbol. He didn't find anything; only blank slots where his memories should be.

The man took a threatening step forward, brandishing his sickle. "That's not like you, hero, spouting out questions like some drunk tavern keeper. Before you were as silent as death." The man lunged once again, swiping at Link with his sickle again and again as Link evaded every attack. "But don't worry, gracious knight, I'll make you as silent as you were 100 years ago!"

This time the man came down from above, and Link quickly held his sword above him, stopping the attack with a sharp clang of metal against metal.

Link threw the man off of him, glancing at Zelda who was standing off to the side next to Caviar, her face white with fear. He didn't know who this man was or why he was out to kill him, but he wouldn't let him touch Zelda. He was her knight, right?

Link clenched his free hand into a fist and came at the man, swinging his sword at the man's shoulder. The man deflected it and came at Link on the other side with a counter attack, but Link rolled away from the sharp curved edge of the glinting sickle. Link then tried to come at the man from behind, but just as the tip of his sword barely scraped the man's red suit, he jumped back and brought his hands together, laughing as he vanished in a puff of smoke with the weird eye design flashing in the air.

There was a second of dead silence before Zelda suddenly gasped. "Link! Above you!" She cried. Link looked up just as the man appeared directly above him, crying out maniacally with his sickle prepared to kill. Link's eyes widened and he dived out of the way just in time, landing on his stomach.

The man landed onto the ground, standing as he stalked towards Link. Link got onto his back, holding up his sword in defense as the man swung down. "Once I'm finished with you," The man snarled, hooking his sickle around Link's sword and ripping it out of his grip, "the girl will be easy to dispatch."

"Wait!" Zelda shouted, catching the man's attention. She pointed the Sheikah Slate towards him, pressing some unseen button, when the man suddenly froze with a flash of golden light, large intangible chains accompanying the flash before disappearing into thin air, as if chaining the man into a second of time. His frozen body had a thin gold outline surrounding him, that suddenly began to blink. Link instantly scrambled onto his legs and, grabbing his sword, held the blade out at the man's frozen figure, when the gold outline flashed and shattered, disappearing altogether as the man spun to face Link once more, stumbling for a moment, obviously surprised and disoriented from whatever Zelda did to him with the Sheikah Slate.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Link swept his leg underneath the man, tripping him before holding the tip of his sword an inch away from the attackers throat.

"I'll ask again." Link said threateningly. "Who are you?"

The man chuckled breathily, seemingly already having shaken off the affects of the strange golden outline. "The Yiga Clan will be glad to hear the hero is alive, much less awake."

"The Yiga Clan?" Link repeated, keeping the sword at the man's throat as the attacker slowly stood.

"And the princess…" The man murmured, his fingers twitching. "She'll have the honor of seeing your blood stain the grass once more." In the blink of an eye, the man jumped at Link with sickle in hand. In a moment of defense, Link stabbed the man in the stomach. The man instantly screamed in pain and jumped back, crying out as he dropped his sickle and brought his hands together once more. Deep red blood slowly seeped from his fresh wound. "We'll meet again, hero," The man wheezed, his breathing labored. "And the sweet red hue of your blood will be a marvelous sight to see." And with that, the man was gone, the symbol of the upside down eye and tear burning in the air.

Link didn't move for a moment. His mind was spinning. Once his breath slowed just a bit, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and bent down and wiped the blood off of his sword onto the grass and sheathed it just as Zelda ran up to him and hugged him.

"Thank Hylia you're okay!" She exclaimed, pulling away. The smile vanished from her face as embarrassment settled in. "I mean, I knew you would be."

Link flashed a small smile before spotting the sickle on the ground. He walked over to it and picked it up, lightly brushing his hand over the curved edge. "What was that that you did to him? With the Sheikah Slate, I mean."

Zelda looked at the Sheikah Slate that now rested on her hip. "I'm not sure… I used the yellow stasis rune, because Impa said it would freeze things mid-action, and you were about to be… you know…"

Link looked at the Slate with wonder. "But it looks like it only lasts temporarily."

Nodding, Zelda took the sickle from Link's hands. "I guess we understand what that rune does now, though." She said, smiling.

Link glanced up at Zelda's face with a smile before his gaze fell back onto the menacing sickle. "Who was that, then?"

"I don't know…" Zelda answered nervously. "but what did he mean by I'd see your blood 'once more?' Does that mean… I've.. seen it before?"

Link narrowed his eyes at the blade. "The king did say I was gravely wounded 100 years ago."

Zelda looked up at Link with wide eyes. "Do you think.. you know… died?"

"I guess so."

Zelda shuddered and handed the sickle back to Link, her eyes shifting to where the man had vanished. "He said something about a Yiga Clan." She said quietly, subtly changing the subject. "Maybe that's what that symbol was? You know, the one on his mask? Maybe it was the symbol of the Yiga Clan."

"But what is the Yiga Clan? And why did he want to kill me?"

Zelda looked back up at Link "Why do you expect me to know everything?"

"You're the princess."

"That was 100 years go!"

Link rested his hand on his sword. "How does that change anything?"

"That changes everything!" Zelda exclaimed, turning away. "Besides…we don't have our memories. How am I supposed to be a princess if I didn't even remember my land's name?"

"That's why we're trying to find East Gate." Link said, gesturing at the Sheikah Slate.

"Right. Sorry. We should get going if we want to make it back to Impa before sundown."

Link looked up at the sun as he began walking towards Caviar. "I don't think that's gonna happen." He mumbled to himself.

Zelda sighed. Her eyes shifted then suddenly widened as a smile broke out on her face. "Hey, Link, look!" She exclaimed, rushing to something that was sparkling in the grass. She bent down excitedly, picking up the object.

Following Zelda, Link crouched down by her, a smile appearing on his face as he saw the large red rupee sparkling cheerily in her hand. On the grass in front of her were six more red rupees, with one blue one. "This adds up to 150 rupees!" Zelda quickly picked up the rest of the rupees, holding them in her shirt.

"They must have come from that man when he attacked me!"

Zelda placed a hand over her heart. "Oh, how nice of that man to make such a generous donation to our cause!"

Link chuckled. "Hopefully we run into more of these Yiga Clan guys. We need all of the rupees we can get."

Zelda laughed and stood. The blue rupee slipped out of her hands, but Link quickly caught it before it hit the ground. Zelda smiled and laughed with Link as they both placed the rupees in a sack that hung from Caviar's saddle.

As Zelda then began to climb onto Caviar, Link stopped her for just a moment. "Zelda…"

"Hm?" She replied, looking down at Link as she swung her leg over Caviar's saddle.

"Whatever it was that you did with the Sheikah Slate, don't hesitate it to do it again. I would've been gone hadn't you intervened."

Zelda smiled brightly and patted the Sheikah Slate confidently. "You can count on me, mighty hero."


	6. Chosen Path

"Watch out!" Zelda shouted, wrapping her arms and squeezing painfully around Link's waist. Link wrapped the reigns around his wrists, straining to keep Caviar in line. The three bokoblins in front of them gurgled in painful harmony as they waved their clubs at Caviar. The poor horse was in a panic. They had just gotten onto the road to East Gate when the three monsters in the road stopped Caviar out of sheer fear.

Link gritted his teeth and stirred Caviar with his heels, pulling the reins and forcing the horse to turn around and run the way they had come. The monsters didn't try to chase them, thankfully.

"How're we going to get to East Gate if Caviar won't ride through the monsters?" Zelda asked once Caviar had stopped galloping.

Patting Caviar's neck comfortingly, Link sat up and looked over his shoulder at Zelda. "We'll just have to keep trying."

Zelda nodded and wrapped her arms around Link again. "Try not to buck us off again, okay Caviar?" She said, chuckling nervously. Link patted Caviar again, who nickered in response.

Their second attempt at getting past the bokoblins was better then the first. Once the bokoblins came into view again, they roared and stood, waving their clubs with renewed vigor. Another bokoblin had joined them, now making the group the frightful foursome instead of the fearsome threesome. Caviar whinnied and began rearing, whacking the closest bokoblin straight into its disgusting snout. The monster flew back at least five feet, knocking into one of its companions.

"Yes Caviar!" Zelda exclaimed. Link quickly got control of Caviar once again, and they galloped away from the two remaining monsters.

Apparently, Caviar was not going to stop again. They ran into at least three more monster camps, but Caviar galloped straight through them, stepping on some of them in the process. Soon, they broke out of the road with the gate looming in front of them. The snowy peak of Mount Lanayru seemed almost like a painting behind the gate, framed by white fluffy clouds and the misty gray sky.

Zelda slid off of Caviar, looking up at the gate in wonder. Link whispered some calming words to Caviar before sliding off as well, looking around at their surroundings. Something about this place was oddly familiar… especially Mount Lanayru.

"This is the place, isn't it." Zelda said quietly, almost reverently.

Link stepped up beside her, nodding in agreement.

Zelda grabbed the Sheikah Slate from her waist, pulling up the picture and holding it in front of the gate and the mountain. The pictures matched almost perfectly. "Yep. We're here."

"I don't feel anything." Link remarked.

"But it's familiar." Zelda pointed out. She suddenly gasped, her eyes wide. "W-wait…" She mumbled, holding her head in one hand.

"Zelda?" Link hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder. He looked over at the gate again when something clicked inside his head, and he was lost in a memory.

_Link tried not to show his despair, but it was kind of hard not to. If Zelda couldn't awaken her supposed sealing power on Mount Lanayru at the Spring of Wisdom, the last of the springs, then what else could they do? At the moment, it seemed as if all of their travels was simply for nothing. _

_Zelda walked beside him, the white of her ceremonial dress making her look as if she were glowing in the sun. Her golden hair was still slightly damp from standing in the spring, and her face was cold and pale from trekking up and down the frigid slopes of Mount Lanayru. _

_The other champions stood a ways down the road, watching Link and Zelda with masked faces, trying not to show their hope and anticipation. Once Link and Zelda reached them, Daruk was the first to break his mask. _

"_Well? Don't keep us in suspense. How'd everything go up there on the mountain?"_

_Zelda sadly shook her head, and the champion's faces crumbled. _

"_So you didn't feel anything? No power at all?" Revali asked._

_Zelda looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry, no." She answered, clasping her hands out in front of her. She looked so small and fragile. _

_Urbosa took one look at Zelda before speaking up. "Then let's move on." She said, her voice calm and reassuring. "You've done all you could. Feeling sorry for yourself won't be of any help. After all, it's not like your last shot was up there on Mt. Lanayru. Anything could finally spark the power to seal Ganon away. We just have to keep looking for that… thing." _

"_That's kind of you." Zelda murmured, still keeping her eyes to her feet. _

"_If I may…" Mipha began, taking a small step forward. Zelda looked up. "I thought you… Well, I'm not sure how to put this into words… I'm actually quite embarrassed to say it. But I was thinking about what I do when I'm healing. You know, what usually goes through my mind… It helps when I think-when I think about-"_

_A loud rumble suddenly shook the ground, causing the champions to stumble and struggle to stay balanced. Link instantly reached out to help Zelda stay standing, while Revali took the initiative and flew up to see over the mountains that blocked their view of the castle. _

_A loud roar echoed through the mountains, piercing everyone's ears as thunder and lightning crackled in the distance. Link's heart sank. He knew what was happening even before Revali came back down. _

"_It's here." Urbosa said. _

"_This is it then…" Daruk rumbled. _

"_Are you sure?" Mipha asked softly. _

"_Positive." Revali answered. _

"_It's awake. Ganon." Zelda said quietly. _

_The five champions and the princess all stared up at the sky in the direction of the castle where black and pink smoke swirled just over the mountain peak. Lighting continued to ark through the smoke and fog, cackling maniacally. _

_Daruk then turned towards the champions, his face serious and determined. This is what they had been training for. "Let's stop wasting time! We're gonna need everything we got to take that thing down. Now Champions! To your Divine Beasts! Show that swirling swine who's boss! Link will need to meet Ganon head on when we attack! This needs to be a unified assault." Daruk looked directly at Link. "Little guy! You get to Hyrule Castle." _

_Link pushed aside his fear and nodded. He would not back down. Everyone was counting on him. He was the one who wielded the Master Sword, the sword that rested on his back, after all. _

"_You can count on us for support." Daruk continued, "But it's up to you to pound Ganon into oblivion!" He said, holding up his fist with a large smile. _

_Urbosa went up to Zelda, who was still staring up at where the thunder and lightning emanated, and lightly placed her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Come. We should go. We need to get you somewhere safe." She said. _

_Zelda clenched her fists and spun out of Urbosa's hands, her eyes fierce. "No! I am not a child anymore! I may not be much use on the battlefield… But there must… There must be something I can do to help!" She cried, her green eyes wide and filled with a burning flame that seemed just as powerful as the black and pink smoke that continued to spread throughout the clouds sky like some sick virus. _

Link's eyes shot open as he was jolted back to reality. Zelda was standing right next to him, the Sheikah Slate slipping out of her weak hands. Her eyes were wide, devoid of the burning flame that they had had 100 years ago.

"That was…that was a memory…"

Link didn't say anything. He subconsciously reached behind him to feel the Master Sword. It wasn't there. He looked down at his shirt that was two sizes too small. In the memory he was wearing a blue tunic… the same blue that the Champion's all wore. The Champions… who were they? Daruk, Revali, Urbosa… Mipha.

"And that smoke… the thunder and lightning…" Zelda began, her voice sounding far away and hollow. "...That was Ganon! And the Champions…" She took a shaky breath and looked at Link. "They're gone… they died in the attack."

Link felt torn. He felt as if the memory had only made things worse for him. He vividly remembered the fear that had gnawed in his stomach when the first roar from Ganon shook the ground. He also remembered his sheer determination and sense of duty, but there was something else there too.. a sense to protect someone.. but who? His family? Did he even have a family?

"Link… are you okay?" Zelda asked softly.

Again reaching behind him and feeling for a sword that was not there, Link looked at Zelda. He was her knight. The memory confirmed that. He brought his hand down, pushing away the turbulence in his head. He would not look weak. "Let's get back to Impa." He said, stepping past Zelda and walking to Caviar. Zelda looked after him with a worried look before bending down and picking up the Sheikah Slate. She looked down at it for a moment before looking again at the gate and the mountain.

Finally, she sighed and, clasping the Slate back onto her hip, walked to Caviar and climbed up with Link's help. Link jumped up in front of her, taking the reigns and stirring Caviar into a gallop. He didn't want to stay the night out in the wilderness after what he'd seen. Besides, he wanted answers, and Impa seemed to be the type of person who would be willing to give him just that.

The monsters never stood a chance. Caviar plowed right through them on their way back to Impa, never slowing down. The ride was quick and silent. Link had no intentions to strike up a conversation with Zelda, and if Zelda had tried, he wouldn't have heard it through the roaring wind.

By the time they got back to Kakariko Village, the sun had just slipped behind the tall mountains and hills around them. They had made it to the village before sundown, thanks to Caviar.

Link led Caviar to the front of the long wooden staircase once more, slipping off right as one of the guards walked up to them.

"Master Link, I trust your journey went well?" The guard asked.

Link nodded. "Your gift was useful. Thank you."

The guard smiled. "I'm glad." He said, his eyes shifting to Zelda sliding off of Caviar. His eyes widened and he walked over to Caviar's saddle, pulling the Yiga's sickle out of the leather strap. "Were you attacked?" He asked, staring at the sickle with disgusted eyes.

"By a red suited man who pretended to be a traveler." Zelda answered, looking at the man with confused concern. "He said he was a part of the… Yiga clan?"

The guard's grip tightened on the weapon. "Yes… The Yiga Clan…" He growled. He took a breath and slipped the sickle back through the strap, his hands clenched at his side. "They are a ruthless group of foul traitors who only wish for the demise of the hero and the return of Ganon."

Zelda glanced at Link. He didn't make eye contact. The same sick fear that he felt 100 years ago during Ganon's return was resurfacing.

The guard sighed. "My apologies. I shouldn't trouble you with such words, but… be careful." He began to walk away, but Zelda stopped him.

"I never caught your name." She said with a small smile.

"Dorian." The guard answered. "Impa is waiting." He added, walking towards the wooden staircase. Link and Zelda followed, continuing up the stairs as Dorian stopped at his post.

Link pushed the doors open for him and Zelda, waiting for Zelda to walk in before following behind. Impa was sitting exactly where she was before, lifting her head at the sound of the doors closing behind them. She gave them a crooked smile.

"It seems you two have seen your first memories. And now that you remember certain things… I will hand these gifts back to you before I forget." She said. Paya then walked down the stairs, holding two folded pairs of clothes. Link felt his stomach twist into a knot as he recognized the stunning blue in one of the piles. Paya handed the clothes to both Link and Zelda respectively before stepping back and hiding her face with an almost inaudible whimper.

Link unfolded the blue tunic in his hands, staring at the white designs around the neck and seams. He also had a pair of trousers that looked long enough to actually fit him, unlike the old rags he wore now. Along with the tunic and pants, Paya had also given him a pair of brown boots.

In Zelda's hands was a simple sleeveless white gown with a gold belt. These were the clothes that they were wearing when Ganon awoke and attacked.

Impa studied Link and Zelda's faces before talking. "These clothes you now hold were the clothes you wore when-"

"When Ganon awoke." Zelda finished for her, staring down at the white gown with a similar look that Dorian had given the Yiga's sickle.

Impa nodded. "Yes. They were the clothes you had on before we placed you in the Shrine of Resurrection. We wanted to keep them safe for you for when you both awoke."

Zelda closed her eyes for a moment, as if she were recollecting herself before she opened them and walked to Paya, giving the dress back to her. "Thank you, Impa, really. The gift is… greatly appreciated, but I don't want to see the same dress someone else wore 100 years ago."

"Whatever you wish." Impa replied, giving Zelda a sideways glance before turning her attention to Link. "And what about you?"

Link simply held the tunic closer to his chest, giving the only answer needed.

Impa nodded again. "Very well." She paused. "My dear Zelda, I at least wish to give you some new clothes."

"Oh, it's okay, Impa. Really, these clothes-"

"Are not suitable for a princess whether you like it or not. They'll fall apart once you get on with your travels."

Zelda huffed, but a smile tugged at her lips regardless. "Well alright then." She said, giving in.

Impa cracked a smile before her eyes widened as an idea popped into her head. "Ah, now hold on just a moment. Paya, I do believe we have another pair of clothes that belong to Zelda."

Paya perked up. "Oh, yes! I'll go get it!" She said hurriedly before rushing up some stairs. A minute later she came back down with another bundle of clothes in her arms. She placed the clothes in Zelda's arms, stepping back next to Impa. Zelda held up the outfit, which consisted of tight leather leggings, high boots, and a blue and white top that was decorated with gold thread and ornaments. It was obviously royalty, but casual enough to be seen traveling in. Zelda's face immediately brightened.

"Thank you Impa! These will do just perfectly!" She said excitedly, looking over at Link. "Where can we go to change?"

And with that, just a few minutes later, Zelda was wearing her new outfit from her old life, while Link was now wearing his Champion's tunic, feeling perfectly at home in the breathable blue fabric. It was complete bliss compared to the old scratchy clothes he had been wearing before. Now they were back in Impa's home, waiting while she tinkered with the Sheikah Slate.

"The only way to defeat Ganon is to cleanse the Divine Beasts of his control. I'm placing marks down on your Sheikah Slate at the four locations where the Beasts lay." She handed the Slate back to Zelda. "I suggest going to Zora's Domain first. It's the closest from here." Impa explained.

Zelda smiled and nodded. "Thank you. But how do we cleanse them?"

"The only way to truly gain the Divine Beasts loyalty, you must use your sealing power, Zelda, and banish the corruption for the Beasts."

"My sealing power?" Zelda repeated. "But I don't…" She trailed off.

"You remember your struggles at Mount Lanayru. Soon your other labors will come back to you. But you will also remember your success, and you will know how to use the sacred gift that is your birthright." Impa said.

Zelda sighed. "Thank you for the clothes, Impa. But we should get going now." Without wasting a second, Zelda turned and marched out of the house, leaving Link and Impa alone. Link began to turn to follow her, but Impa stopped him.

"Wait." The old woman croaked, her hand hovering in the air as if she were about to grip his shoulder. "In the memory that you saw, did you perhaps see a sword on your back?"

The image of the Master Sword flashed in Link's mind. He nodded.

Impa's hand fell back down to her side. "That sword can only be wielded by the chosen hero. After you fell 100 years ago, the Princess took the sword to the center of the Korok Forest, where she lay it to rest. Before you face Ganon, seek out the Great Deku Tree and find the Master Sword."

Link nodded again. His hand was resting on the sword that Dorian, the guard, had given him. Before it had felt just right, but now it felt awkward and flimsy. "Thank you." Link said, turning on his heel, but before he could leave, Impa told him one last thing.

"Link," she began, her old voice carrying across the room. "Take care of the princess. She doesn't want to look back on her past, but she must in order to conquer the present."

Link hesitated for a moment before nodding weakly and walking out of the house.

When Link reached the end of the stairs, Zelda was already on Caviar, and Dorian was handing her a fabric bag that bulged from what it contained.

"The food here will sustain the both of you for two, maybe three days. Hopefully you'll be able to get to Zora's Domain in that time." Dorian said as Zelda clasped the bag onto Caviar's saddle. "Are you sure you don't want to stay the night?"

"I'm sure." Zelda answered. "But thank you, again…for everything." She added politely.

"Of course." Dorian replied. Link climbed up onto Caviar in front of Zelda. "Safe travels." Dorian waved them off as Link stirred Caviar into a trot. And in just a few short moments, they were out of the village and back in the familiar canyon that they had rode through to get to Kakariko in the first place.

"Link…" Zelda began, and Link had to stop himself from sighing. He didn't want to talk. He only wanted to get to Zora's Domain. "You've been awfully quiet ever since that memory we saw. Something on your mind?"

The moonlight just barely illuminated the path before them, and Link had to focus to keep Caviar on the road, making his response sound hollow and unattached. "We should see if we can get any more memories on our way." He replied.

Zelda stayed quiet for a moment. Then, she held the Sheikah Slate in front of Link for him to see. "Well, there's this one. It looks like it's near a large bridge that stretches over Lake Hylia."

Link slowed Caviar to a stop, taking the Slate into his hands, studying the picture. It had a large leafy tree with two statues huddled underneath it. In the background was a large distant bridge spanning the length of a lake. He handed the Slate back to Zelda and nudged Caviar back into a trot.

"But that's not what I wanted to talk about." Zelda said pointedly, trying to urge Link into saying anything. When he stayed silent, Zelda let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't get you." She huffed. "One second you're joking around about rupees, and then when something of minor inconvenience happens, you close right back up."

_I don't want to talk about this right now._ Link thought. He stayed silent, which felt almost unbearably familiar. How often did he ignore Zelda 100 years ago? Based on the memory he had seen, he was and always had been as silent as ever. So, he would stay that way. He had a duty to the land of Hyrule and to his kingdom, even if it was in shambles. He failed 100 years ago, and he was determined not to fail again.

He heard Zelda take a breath to keep talking, but no words came. He heard her sigh and that was the last of it.

All throughout the night, Link and Zelda rode past the Dueling Peaks stable and through the two mountains themselves, shared a quick small midnight snack while riding on Caviar, and steered off of the road towards the memory's location. Soon the grass underneath them turned into mud, which then gradually changed into shallow water.

To say that the view before them was devastating was an understatement. The bright moon had just broke through the clouds, reflecting off of the murky waters that shifted lazily through wooden ruins of a small village. A chill seemed to seep through the air, making Link shudder as he gazed at the broken beams and roofs of the homes that once held a story of their own. This was the result of the Calamity. Link quickly snapped the reigns, keeping Caviar at a gallop until they were out of the ruins. They climbed a short hill until the large tree came into view with the two small statues from the picture sitting underneath it.

"We're here already?" Zelda asked, amazed. She slid off of Caviar and walked to the statues, bending down and brushing her hand over the top of them. Link knew that she was ignoring the jarring sight of the ruined village that they had just rode through.

Link jumped down from Caviar and looked around the place. He pushed his thoughts about the ruins back from the forefront of his mind and focused on recalling any memory that sparked. He was almost scared to see his next memory. But, he was still as eager as he was before.

Zelda stood up from the statues and took a step towards the tree, looking up at its intricate web of branches and leaves. She sat down on a rock near the statues, looking over at Link. "Is this familiar to you?" She asked.

Link glanced over the tree and the statues, focusing on where Zelda was sitting. That was definitely familiar. He had definitely been here befor-

"_I doubt this will let up anytime soon…" Zelda mumbled, looking up at the murky storm clouds. She was sitting on a rock underneath the tree to keep dry from the rain. _

_Maybe princesses didn't like to get wet, but Link didn't mind. He had grudgingly stopped their travels when the first of the rainfall occurred, deciding that the best way to spend his time was to train. So, that's what he did, swinging his sword and stabbing with surprising vigor, as if he were attacking something more than air. _

_Zelda watched him with mild interest. "Your path seems to mirror your father's." She said. "You've dedicated yourself to becoming a knight, as well. Your commitment to the training necessary to fulfill your goal is really quite admirable." _

_Link paused his routine, glancing over his shoulder at Zelda. He had a feeling that she was trying to say something more than compliments. _

"_I see now why you would be the chosen one." She gave him a small smile before looking away with sad eyes. "What if… One day… You realized that you just weren't meant to be a fighter." _

_Turning to face Zelda, Link lowered his sword. He was used to hearing strange things come out of the princess's mouth, but this was different. _

"_Yet the only thing people ever said… was that you were born into a family of the royal guard, and so no matter what you thought, you had to become a knight. If that was the only thing that you were ever told… I wonder, then… would you have chosen a different path?" _

Link gasped, his eyes shooting open as the foggy images of rainfall slowly faded from his mind's eye. Zelda was staring at him, her eyes telling him that she remembered the storm as well. Her gaze fell to the ground, her eyes searching for answers.

"Let's go." Link said plainly, taking a breath to calm his racing heart.

Zelda's head shot up. "Already?" She asked.

Link nodded and walked back to Caviar. He climbed on, looking over at Zelda who was still sitting on the rock.

"I just need time to think." She said, finally standing. "I don't understand what I meant…" She muttered.

Link held out his hand, ready to help Zelda get onto Caviar. Zelda eyed the hand with a closed off expression. She walked towards Caviar and accepted the hand, climbing into the saddle. They both took one last look at the two statues and the large tree before Link led Caviar back down the hill and through the drowned ruins of past lives.

**Also, quick note, I just want to mention how blown away I am from the attention this fic has been getting. It's INSANE! I can't believe people actually like to read my stuff haha :P So thank you thank you thank you sooo much to everyone who's spent some of their time reading my work :) I hope I continue entertaining y'all!**

**Happy reading!**


	7. Silent Knight

The day had begun, and Link and Zelda were already close to the next memory location. It was inside a grove of white trees that contrasted dramatically against the blue lake next to it.

Zelda was staring down at the Sheikah Slate, looking for where the exact location was. Link gently led Caviar through the trees, weaving around tight turns and narrow gaps through the winding grove.

"There!" Zelda exclaimed, pointing to a slanted rock that pointed to the lake. "Its right around here." She said, more to herself then to anyone.

Link obediently stopped Caviar and jumped off, helping Zelda out of the saddle. She looked out towards the lake, not taking a single step towards the large slanted boulder.

Ignoring Zelda's eyes on his back, Link walked towards the rock, waiting for the familiar weightless feeling to sweep him into a memory. Hearing soft footsteps behind him, he knew that Zelda was standing beside him.

"These places all feel the same. They feel familiar, in a nostalgic way, but they feel disconnected and alien… it's almost like I'm seeing someone else's past life, not mine." Zelda said quietly.

Link kept his eyes forward, refusing to meet those large green eyes of the princess. He could feel them staring at him now, filled with hurt and confusion. He knew she wanted him to talk to her, but he couldn't. His loyalty was to the kingdom of Hyrule, and just like in the memories he's collected so far, he wouldn't speak.

Zelda sighed, the sound almost becoming as recurring as breathing. She wandered over to one of the trees, resting against it as she took a shaky breath. "Wait… I think..." She muttered, leaning against the tree. Link instantly turned to look at her, but when he tried to take a step forward, his mind hit a switch, and like a light going out, his vision faded as the past engulfed his senses.

_Princess Zelda walked at least five feet ahead, staring down at the Sheikah Slate as the two walked the shore of the lake. Link was careful to keep his distance from the princess, who had made it quite clear that he wasn't to interfere with her "thinking." Link thought more of it as "rambling" or "monologuing." But of course, he would never tell her that. _

_"From here we'll make our way to Goron City. Then, we'll need some adjustments on that Divine Beast so Daruk can manage it as easily as possible." Zelda informed. Link wasn't sure if she was talking to him or not. "He's figured out how to get it to move…" She continued. "However, it's apparent that we still have much more to learn." Her tone shifted slightly, her voice oozing with excitement. "But to think… that Divine Beast was actually built by people… That means we should be able to understand how it works and how to use it to our advantage." She lowered the Slate, looking onward with what Link pictured a wide eyed expression of wonder. "These Divine Beasts… so much we don't know… but if we want to turn back the Calamity Ganon, they're our best hope." She suddenly slowed her quick gait, standing still as the Slate dangled in her lowered hand. _

_Link stopped a good distant away from her, worried that something might be wrong with his charge. _

_Zelda lowered her head slightly. "Tell me the truth…" She began, turning her head over her shoulder. Her green eyes were sorrowful and perhaps even… guilty? "How proficient are you, wielding that sword on your back? Legend says that an ancient voice resonates inside it. Can you hear it yet… hero?" _

The last words of Zelda's soft spoken voice echoed in his head like far off bells, making his heart pound. His memory was a jangled up mess of puzzle pieces, and now the outside edges were finally getting placed together. Something was wrong with Zelda 100 years back. Something was on her mind… about him. He looked over at Zelda, who was leaning against the tree with a stunned expression. Link had a feeling that more puzzle pieces had been put together in her mind more than in his.

"Did you ever hear that voice?" Zelda asked, pushing herself off of the tree.

Link shifted uncomfortably. He barely remembered the feel of the Master Sword in his hand, let alone hearing any voices. He shook his head and turned away from the princess, feeling slightly jealous. He wanted his sword back. He wanted his past back. He wanted everyone to be back.

They stopped by another stable along the road. It was right next to a river, the constant sound of the gushing waters becoming a comforting hum as Link and Zelda shared a short meal in the shelter of the stable. However, it felt as if they were eating in separate worlds. Ever since that first memory, a wall had been hastily constructed between the two, and even though the holes at eye level allowed for brief communication, the exchanges were often short and muffled.

Despite this, they both had a common goal, and so Zelda had the Sheikah Slate on the table with the gallery of pictures shimmering on the screen.

"I don't recognize any of these places on the map. I don't know if any of them are along the way to Zora's Domain." Zelda huffed.

Link looked up from the Slate, eyeing the man that stood behind the counter. They made eye contact for a moment, and the man hastily looked down, pretending to be cleaning the counter with his sleeve. "Maybe he can help." Link suggested, nodding his head towards the stable man.

Zelda nodded in agreement and stood, walking towards the counter with Link in tow. "Excuse me, sir? I was hoping you could help me with something." Zelda began politely, setting the Sheikah Slate onto the counter. She showed the man the pictures. "Can you tell me if any of these pictures are of locations that are nearby?"

The man eyed the Slate with bewilderment. He studied the pictures for a moment before nodding. "Yes, yes, that one there." He pointed to a simple picture of a forest with dense trees. "It's just northeast of here, along the river." For the first time, the man looked up, his eyes widening as he looked over Zelda. "Wait-wait you look like someone my grandfather told me about.." the man spoke softly, as if he'd seen a legend come to life. "You aren't… Princess Zelda, are you? I-I thought she was just a legend, but you've got the golden hair and emerald eyes and-"

"Thank you for helping us." Link cut into the man's rant, taking the Sheikah Slate off of the counter and handing it to Zelda. "We better be off now." He walked away from the counter and out of the stable. Zelda quickly followed after him. She gave Link a smile and a strange look.

Link glanced right back at her. "What?" He asked.

Zelda shrugged. "Nothing… just why did you feel the urge to do that?"

"I meant what I said. We need to get going. I want to see more… I mean.. I want to get to Zora's Domain." He fumbled. He shook his head and increased his speed to fetch Caviar from the feeding trough. He led the horse back to where Zelda stood, who still had that strange smile on her face. Link only glanced at it once more before ignoring it all together and helping Zelda climb onto Caviar before getting on himself.

The ride to the forest was uneventful and quiet. It was beginning to become the norm now for the two. They continued going straight when the road turned, riding through the thin bladed grass and by the clear waters of the river.

Soon they entered the forest from the picture, and a similar chill from the flooded ruins entered the air. Link felt Zelda shiver behind him, and Caviar slowed to a cautious trot. They slowly moved through the small forest, sticking to an overgrown path. Link felt dizzy looking around the trees, and he had a sudden wave of deja vu wash over him. He stopped Caviar, instantly sliding off. Caviar snorted softly as Zelda followed suit. The forest was deathly silent, with no chirping birds or chittering squirrels to shatter the silence. It was still, and the air was fragile and tense.

"I have a feeling that we aren't gonna enjoy this memory." Zelda whispered. She walked to the center of the path. Link followed her, silently agreeing. The feel of this place was solemn, unlike the other places where they had gotten their other memories. Zelda sighed and put a hand to her head. "I feel lightheaded." She mumbled. Link reached out and gripped her shoulders as she stumbled.

"Zelda!" He exclaimed, bending down to see her eyes as her head had fallen limp. She sagged in his arms, but he suddenly couldn't feel her shoulders. His vision instantly faded as once again, he was taken to the past.

_This is all wrong! Link thought to himself, pulling Zelda behind them as they sprinted along the soggy path. The rain was falling relentlessly, making it hard for the Guardians to find them. They should count themselves lucky for that, but it only made Link more miserable. He was trying his best not to become overwhelmed with emotion, and so he focused on his feet slapping onto the ground and the princess who dragged behind him. _

_They had failed, completely and utterly. Link's body screamed at him, with every step sending a shock of pain through him. When they had gotten to the castle, no Divine Beasts came to aid them. The Champions were dead. Castle Town was already overrun with Guardians, and no Hylian Soldiers were seen alive. They were too late. They were too weak. They were unprepared, which seemed ironic to Link. They had spent their entire lives training for the very moment Ganon showed its cursed rotten face, but even then they were still overpowered. _

_All of this ran through Link's head just when the soft hand of the Princess slipped out of his grip. He spun around, his heart beating frantically. Who knew what was pursuing them at this very moment? They didn't have time for this! _

"_How…" Zelda whispered breathlessly. She was kneeling with her hands in fists on the ground in front of her, her ceremonial white dress black with grime, mud, soot and ash. Her usual shining golden hair was tainted from the effects of their hastened dash from the castle. _

_Link jogged back to Zelda, ready to pull her up, but he stopped when she continued talking. He silently slipped the Master Sword back into its sheath on his back. He couldn't force her to run while she was like this. _

"_How did it come to this?" She continued, her head hanging in exhaustion and grief. _

_Politely, Link knelt down so that he was level with the Princess. _

"_The Divine Beasts… The Guardians… They've all turned against us…" She took a long labored breath. "It was… Calamity Ganon. It turned them all against us!" She cried, her fists tightening until her knuckles were white. She slowly raised her head. Tears were gathering at the corners of her large green eyes. "And everyone-Mipha, Urbosa, Revali and Daruk…" _

_Link's heart throbbed painfully at the mention of the Champions. They had risked everything when they donned the unifying blue, and that risk had taken their lives. _

"_They're all trapped inside those things…" Her voice was a weak whisper; barely audible. "It's all my fault!" She cried out, covering her face with her hands as the tears tipped over onto her dirty cheeks. "Our only hope for defeating Ganon is lost all because I couldn't harness this cursed power! Everything-everything I've done up until now… It was all for nothing…" She gasped, choking on her tears that were down streaming. Her hands fell from her face. "So I really am just a failure!" She shouted, her voice instantly lowering into a hushed tone that spoke volumes. "All my friends… the entire kingdom… my father most of all… I tried, and I failed them all…" Link and Zelda's eyes met as her voice almost gave way. "I've left them… all to die." She said, clenching her teeth before crying out and falling into Link's arms. _

_Link caught her, holding her gently as her fragile frame shook with every cry. He didn't know what to say, and so he said nothing. No words were needed. He let her cry, he let her wash out all of the torment in her. He knew that he was risking their escape from the Guardians, but he knew that this is what Zelda needed. _

_He was the only thing Zelda had left. And he swore on his life that he would not let anything happen to the Princess. He would take her to Fort Hateno and have her travel to Hateno Village while he held the Guardians back. He would not let the corrupted machines past the gate, even if it cost him his life. _

When Link came to, he was shocked to find the Princess in his arms. They were both kneeling in the same place that they had 100 years prior. Zelda gasped and her head shot up, and they stared at each other for a moment. Link's breath caught in his throat, and he was afraid that he would stay there forever, kneeling in the dirt. Zelda's eyes were moist, and she hastily wiped at them, but it was no use. A tear managed to slip past her efforts, but before she could get to it, Link wiped it away. She stared at him, stunned.

"I…" Link started, his throat closing up. "I'm sorry." He finished.

Zelda sniffed and looked away. "So that's how this all happened." She muttered, a hint of anger tainting her voice. "I failed to unlock my sealing power, and because of it, everyone died." She let out a breathy laugh. "It's my fault we lost our memories, it's my fault the kingdom is in shambles, and it's _my _fault that everyone's gone!" She suddenly stood, her hands shaking in sudden anger.

Link looked up at her and stood. "It wasn't only your fault. If we were both put into the Shrine of Resurrection, then that must mean that I failed to protect you."

Zelda glared at Link fiercely. "Don't try to take any of the blame, and don't try to comfort me either. You were silent back then and you're silent now too. If I have to be in tears to get you to talk to me, then I don't want you to at all." She growled.

"Zelda, I-"

"You what? What, oh courageous hero?"

"I was wrong!" Link shouted, silencing Zelda. She stared at him with wide eyes, taking a step back in surprise. Link sighed. "I was wrong about me, and I was wrong about you." He said quietly, lowering his voice to it's normal volume. "I don't know why I was so closed up back then, but I've got only bits and pieces that won't fit together. So I'm sorry if I'm a little on the quiet side." He snapped.

"But you started opening up to me before we saw the first memory. After that you stopped talking to me." Zelda said.

"I thought that the only way that I… or we could succeed, was if we followed what we did 100 years ago. I saw that I didn't talk, so I thought-I thought I had to…"

"Be silent now." Zelda finished for him. Link sighed again and looked down at his feet. He was a fool. A sorry excuse for an appointed knight. "But we _failed _100 years ago." Zelda began, putting her hands on Link's shoulders. Link looked up. "If we try to follow in our past selves footsteps, we'll only fail again. When my father revealed himself, I was stubborn and I shut out my past completely. But, no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't avoid my past when we have literally been reliving it. So, instead of ignoring or forcing ourselves to copy our past mistakes, we have to learn from them, and then let them go."

Link searched Zelda's large green eyes, finding comfort and understanding. He finally understood his feelings about her. He not only felt a strong sense of protection over the Princess, but there was something else there too. "Thank you." He said. Zelda let go of his shoulders, giving him a small smile. Link returned the expression with one of his own. "I've been stubborn, haven't I." He laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment.

Zelda laughed softly. "I forgive you." She said. "But don't you dare ignore me anymore. Riding behind you is boring enough as it is."

Silence soon muffled out their conversation, and the same chill from before swept around them. Link looked up into the cloudy sky, remembering the steady rainfall that had drenched his clothes. He looked at Zelda, who had also been looking at the sky. Their eyes met, and Zelda quickly looked away.

"Are you okay?" Link asked.

Zelda sighed. "I just wish that things were different." She said, disheartened. "Even if we decide to move on from our past, that doesn't keep it from hurting." She sucked in another shaky breath. "I want to know more about the champions. I want to know more about Mipha, Revali, Urbosa, and Daruk…"

"I do too." Link agreed. "And we can start by heading to Zora's Domain." He said, giving Zelda a comforting smile. "Mipha's waiting for us to free her Divine Beast. We've taken a look into our past, and now it's time to let it go and push forward."

Zelda pursed her lips for a moment before suddenly rushing into Link's arms. She buried her face into the embrace, quietly crying. Link hesitantly wrapped his arms around Zelda, squeezing her tightly in return.

They stood there for a long while, neither of them saying a word, just as a light rain began to sprinkle down from the misty sky.

"Link, this isn't a good idea. We should stay on the road." Zelda stated, worriedly looking down at the map on the Sheikah Slate.

Link glanced over his shoulder while leading Caviar into a shallow swamp. "This way's faster." He argued. "That bird guy at that other stable told us it was. He specifically said, 'If you make a sharp turn into the Lanayru Wetlands and cut through them, you'll reach Inogo Bridge by nightfall.'" Link recited in a poor impersonation.

"You do realize that this 'bird guy' had a name?" Zelda asked. When Link didn't say anything, she flatly reminded him. "His name was Kass, Link." She then sighed pleasantly. "And what a charming voice he had. He played the accordian beautifully."

Link nodded in agreement. "He told a strange story though."

"What? About the 10,000 year old legend?" Zelda laughed. "After what we've been through with hallucinating memories, fighting off pig monsters and hearing a bird sing while playing an accordian, it didn't sound too weird to me."

Link shrugged in response as he led Caviar onto a hastily made bridge over the shallow water. They winded between small shallow islands and across more bridges, until a strange rumbling sound made Caviar whinny nervously. He hesitated to continue, but Link urged him onto a larger island. As they continued across the island, the rumbling grew louder until Link recognized it as snoring. And if anything was snoring loud enough to make it sound like an earthquake, then it couldn't be good.

"What's making that noise?" Zelda whispered.

Link placed a hand on the hilt of his sword, ready for anything. "Probably the reason why we should've stayed on the road." Link whispered back.

Zelda gulped and held onto Link tighter as they neared whatever was snoring as loud as thunder.

When they passed through a thin line of trees, the massive… thing before them was enough to make them both gasp and stare. Lying on the ground in a relaxed way, was a giant monster the size of the houses in Hateno Village. It had grotesquely scarred blue skin with a fat stomach that it would occasionally scratch with its large unproportionate three fingered hands. It's legs were short and stout, much like a bokoblins, with three toes and disgustingly large toenails that looked like armor. The only things covering it's hideous body was a thin grime covered loin cloth, a shredded vest that barely looked like any piece of clothing, a gold band around it's arm, a necklace with dangling weapons, and a wooden piece of armor around one of it's legs. It's ears were floppy and larger than it's head, and when Link looked closer he realized that the thing only had one eye that was the size of his entire body if he curled into a ball. To finish the nasty creature off, it had a snout that looked like a boulder had smashed into it, and two small tusks that still looked formidable.

Scattered around the monster, sticking out of the dirt like saplings, were arrows. Most of them were broken or damaged, but most of them seemed fresh. A broken bow lay off to one side of the monster's lanky arms. Link didn't want to know what happened to the person who had used that bow.

Link stared at the monster, scanning over it's scarred and disgusting body before taking a closer look at the gleaming weapons around its neck. There was a golden bow and sword along with a gray metal shield. As quietly as possible, Link slowly got off of Caviar, drawing his sword while wincing at the scraping sound it made. Zelda instantly grabbed his shoulder, turning him around with surprising force.

"What are you doing?" She hissed.

Link shrugged her hand off. "I'm just going to nab those weapons around its neck." He whispered.

Zelda looked over at the monster, and Link instantly began to make his way to the huge mangled beast. In truth, getting those weapons wasn't the only reason why Link was creeping towards the sleeping monster. _I just need to get close enough before-_

_SNAP!_

Link froze, looking down with dread at the snapped twig underneath his foot. _Of all the dumb mistakes to make! _He thought to himself, just as the monster snorted and moved. It's large eye opened, making a disgusting _slick _sound as it did. It's eye was bright yellow with a blue iris and a black pupil like a snakes. It shifted around before it narrowed in on Link. The monster snorted and rumbled, bringing itself to its feet with surprising agility. It opened its mouth, a purple tongue flopping out over its chin. Its hands raised as if it were about to reach down and grab Link, and all was still for just a moment.

The moment didn't last long. The monster gave a gurgle-like roar, bringing it's hand down on Link. Link gasped and sprinted out of the way just as the hand crashed down onto the ground with a deafening slap. As the monster sluggishly raised it's hand back up and shook it in pain, Link turned and dashed underneath, almost passing out from the horrible stench that hit him like a wave. With a grunt, he swung his sword at the monster's leg, making a large gash in the dark gritty flesh. The monster cried out in pain, stomping around in confusion. Link scrambled around the large feet of the monster, almost getting crushed multiple times.

Getting out from under the monster, Link spun around to find that the monster was staring down at Link with a new hunger in its eye. It roared again and brought both hands down onto the ground, jostling Link as the ground shook from its strength. It continued to slap the ground with its tongue lashing around in the air, before straightening up and lumbering towards Link.

Link bent his knees, ready to dash under the monster and again slash at its unprotected leg, but something caught his eye. In the grass behind where the monster had delivered his short tantrum, was the golden bow from the monster's necklace.

Link looked up at the monster and yelped as a tree was flying right at him. Link jumped out of the way and charged at the monster, faintly hearing Zelda shouting at him as he again slashed at the leg, producing a deeper gash then from before. He tried to cut at the monster again, but as his sword burrowed into the tough flesh, he was abruptly stopped as his sword got stuck into the monster's leg. Link tried to tug it out, but it wouldn't even budge.

Panic gripped Link as the monster raised it's leg in agony, his sword sticking out like the many arrows that dotted the ground. It slammed its foot into the ground, almost making Link lose his footing as he dashed out from danger. The monster was enraged now. And without a sword in his hand, Link felt like a mouse. A dead mouse.

He looked over at Zelda, who was sitting on Caviar with a white face. She was yelling something, but Link couldn't hear over the monster's roars. It turned its large disgusting eye on Link, swinging its arms down. Link hastily dodged out of the way, watching in fear as the monster uprooted another tree and began wielding it like a weapon. It swung the massive tree at Link, who jumped out of the way just in time. But as the monster swung again, a branch from the tree scraped his left forearm, cutting through the fabric of the tunic and digging into his skin. Quickly glancing down at the open wound, he could already see fresh red blood streaming down his arm.

His head snapped towards Zelda again in desperation, and this time he finally heard what she was saying. "The bow!" She shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth. Link's heart shot up in hope. The bow! Of course! He instantly sprinted towards the golden weapon, scooping it up even though his arm stung in blinding pain.

Ducking underneath the tree as the monster swung it again, Link snatched an arrow from the ground, running behind the monster. The monster stumbled around, trying to keep Link in his sight. He swung the tree around blindly, smashing it into other live trees and almost hitting Caviar and Zelda. As the monster once again spotted its prey, Link hurriedly strung the arrow, ignoring the searing pain in his arm and relying on his instincts entirely, took aim… and fired.

The arrow soared straight over the monster's head. Link's stomach felt like it was filled with lead. The monster snorted, unamused, and swung the tree down onto Link. Rolling out of the way and dashing towards another arrow, Link once again strung it. The monster gave up with the tree and threw it at Link, who again dodged it, and slammed its hands down onto the ground in frustration. As its body was bent down, Link aimed the arrow and took a breath, releasing the projectile with a grunt.

The arrow whistled through the air before piercing straight into the monsters eye. The monster's cry of agony was the loudest thing Link had ever heard. He covered his ears as the monster sat onto the ground, thrashing around wildly and wailing horribly as it scratched at its eye.

Taking advantage of the monsters pain, Link sprinted like a mad man at the monster's leg, tugged his sword out of the leg, cranked his arm back, and launched the sword at the monster's head. It almost hit the arrow, sticking straight through the creature's skull.

It took a moment, but with one last gurgling roar, the monster fell over onto its back, resuming it's sleep. Only this time, it wouldn't be waking up anymore.

Gasping for breath, Link looked down at the open wound on his arm, wincing as it burned feverishly.

"Link!" Zelda shouted, running towards him, her face as pale as the moon. "I swear on the Goddess Hylia! You're going to get yourself killed!" She took a long breath, the color slowly returning to her face. "What were you thinking?" She asked in a much more controlled tone.

Link couldn't help but smile at Zelda's reaction. But, seeing how distraught she was, he forced the smile back. "Sorry." He said breathily, grimacing as his arm sent another shock of pain through him.

Zelda looked down at the wound and winced at the sight of it. It was at least a foot long. It was just wider then the width of Link's thumb, and by the looks of it, only half of that deep. "We should clean that." She stated simply, grabbing Link's right wrist and dragging him to the island edge.

On their way, they passed Caviar, in which Zelda instantly snatched something out of their saddle bag. It was the old dress from the Shrine of Resurrection. Apparently, even after getting new clothes, Zelda had still kept her old rags. And by the looks of it, she was going to use the fabric as a bandage.

The shallow water before them looked clean enough, and with a guarded expression, Zelda forced Link's arm down towards the water. She began to splash water onto the wound, cleaning away the splattered blood, scrubbing from where it had dried. Link tried not to cry out in pain, but whenever a drop of water touched the open wound, it sent a stab of pain up his arm.

When Zelda finished cleaning, she hurriedly took the old dress, ripped some of the fabric off so that it looked like a normal rag, and carefully bandaged the wound. Link watched the water with blank interest, grunting and giving Zelda a look when she tightened the bandage. Zelda ignored the glare and continued working, muttering under her breath.

"You're one lucky moron." She said, finishing up her work and leaning back to examine the results.

"And how's that?" Link asked, moving his arm just a tad experimentally.

"If that tree had scratched your right arm, you wouldn't be swinging a sword anytime soon." She glared at Link before softening her eyes a bit. "Still, you should take it easy for a while."

Link nodded in agreement. "Thanks." He said, nodding his head at the bandage.

"Mhm." Zelda stood, helping Link up before they both went to Caviar. "Let's hope this _shortcut_ doesn't have anymore giant tree-wielding monsters." She murmured, stopping Link before he could climb into the saddle. "Hold up. You are not riding in front with that arm of yours." She said firmly.

Agitated, Link lifted his wounded arm to Zelda's eye level. "It's not like it's broken or anything." He argued, wincing and quickly lowering his arm.

Zelda snorted. "Broken or not, you are sitting behind me."

Link sighed, knowing that Zelda would not back down. He watched with distaste as Zelda climbed on. He got on behind her, not excited to ride with golden hair whipping him in the face.

He paused before he swung his leg over the saddle. "Wait." He said, turning and jogging to where the golden bow lay in the grass. He scanned the ground for any arrows and collected them, ending up with a decent handful. He went back over to where Zelda waited on their horse. Tucking the arrows into their saddle bag, he slung the bow onto his back.

"What about your sword?" Zelda pointed towards the dead body of the giant, where the sword from Dorian still stuck out of the thing's eye.

Link almost dry heaved at the thought of pulling his sword out of the giant bloody eyeball. However, the gleaming golden sword and silver shield caught his eye. They still hung around the monster's neck on the roughly made necklace. Instantly, Link jogged over to the dead giant, trying not to jostle his arm.

Once at the carcass, he turned his head, taking a deep breath and holding it as he began the climb. In death the monster smelled ten times worse then before. He scrambled up the fat side of the giant, trying not to gag as his feet sank into the thing's flesh. As fast as possible, Link grabbed the sword and shield, turning and hastily jumping off of the monster. He let out his breath, sucking in fresh air. He vowed to never get near a dead giant like that ever again.

Zelda peered down at the sword and shield as Link shower her his prizes. The sword looked similar to the bow, with gold patterns streaking across the blade. The shield was simple, yet sturdy. It was gray and made of steel, with a red insignia in the middle. The insignia was the same triforce-bird symbol from the paraglider that King Rhoam had given to Zelda. Only now did Link recognize it as the crest for the Royal Family of Hyrule.

"Nice find." Zelda commented as Link slid the golden sword into the leather strap on his hip and the shield onto his back.

"It'll be nice to have a bow and shield now." Link replied, climbing onto Caviar behind Zelda.

She nodded in return. "Definitely."

"Especially if there's more monsters here in our way." Link added.

Zelda looked uncomfortable. "Well let's hope there's not." She stated simply.

Despite their best wishes, there were more monsters in their way. In fact, there was a whole fortress of them.

Well… kind of. When they came out of the series of mini shallow islands, they came to an elaborate maze of bridges over a wide river. The entire thing was made of wood and bones, with lizard looking monsters scurrying around with hunched backs.

Zelda looked over at Link with an annoyed expression. "Just a simple shortcut." She said mockingly.

"I didn't expect this many monsters. If you really want to complain go find Kass." He said.

"We should turn around."

"But we've already come so far. It would take forever to turn back and go around."

"Fine." Zelda huffed. She was about to snap the reins, but she stopped. "Wait!" She cried out excitedly. She grabbed the Sheikah Slate from her hip and pulled up the Runes, selecting the rounded bomb one. She clicked a button and a blue flash emanated from the Slate, revealing a blue glowing bomb the now rested in Zelda's lap. She smiled proudly as she then snapped the reins without hesitation. Caviar obediently started forward. The clacking of Caviar's hooves on the first wooden bridge alerted the lizard monster closest to them, which snapped it's tongue at them like how a frog would snatch a fly out of the sky.

It started to scurry towards them, wielding a mean looking forked boomerang. But before the monster could get close to them, Zelda chucked the bomb at it, and right when it smacked the thing in the face, she clicked the button on the Sheikah Slate again, causing the bomb to instantly explode, launching the now dead monster into the river.

"Nice shot!" Link exclaimed, just as Zelda steered Caviar to follow the sharp bend of the bridge.

With one hand, Zelda tried to summon another bomb, but it wouldn't work. Instead, a little timer was ticking on the rune. "Looks like I won't be able to use that again for a while. Keep your bow at the ready just in case."

Link nodded and grabbed his bow, stringing an arrow but keeping it on his lap. On instinct, he glanced down at the fabric around his arm. His heart sank a little when he saw that blood had already begun to seep through the makeshift bandage.

They met many more monsters along the wooden bridges, which Link simply shot down with the bow. The only time when things almost got out of hand was when Caviar reared in panic when one of the lizard monsters got too close. In which case Zelda froze the monster with the Stasis rune and Link had simply decapitated the monster with his new sword.

They were out of the frenzy in no time. Link's arm was screaming in pain, and he tried not to show it. It helped that Zelda was in front of him. That way she couldn't see his grimaces whenever he moved his arm. It also helped that her excitement with the Sheikah Slate distracted her as well.

Patting Caviar comfortably on the side of his neck, Zelda turned to look back at Link, who tilted his arm so that she wouldn't see the blood that had continued to seep through the fabric. "That wasn't so bad." She said happily, laughing a little.

Link laughed in return. "You're getting pretty good with that Sheikah Slate."

Zelda smiled brightly and said, "I'm actually being useful for once!" just as she turned back around and guided Caviar back onto the road.

Trotting around a bend, they came upon a short bridge over the river that flowed towards them. On either side of the bridge were two small watchtowers. The structures were all made of the same blue material that gleamed in the low afternoon sun.

As they came closer to the bridge, in which Zelda confirmed to be Inogo Bridge with the Sheikah Slate, a steady rainfall started, instantly soaking both of the travelers, much to their annoyance. Zelda stopped Caviar when a sudden hearty young voice called to them from above.

"Say, hey there! You two!"


	8. A Princess' Undying Love

Link and Zelda glanced at each other before looking around for whoever belonged to the voice.

"Up top! Above you!" It called again.

Both Link and Zelda obliged, looking up at the watchtower to their left, blinking the rain out of their eyes.

A figure stood on top of the watchtower, looking down on them. Link held a hand over his eyes, trying to block out the rain and squint through the mist. The figure tensed and jumped off of the watchtower, performing a graceful double frontflip before landing heavily onto the ground. The figure straightened, looking down on Link and Zelda.

The figure was at least two feet taller than both of the Hylians. He, for Link was sure the thing before them was a male, was standing on two legs, but he looked more fish than Hylian. He was mostly red, with a white belly, thighs, face, and the inside of his arms. A shark tail came out of his head and dangled against his back, with a hammerhead shark's forehead and a shark fin on top of his head. His face was angled like a fish, although the structure of his face was still incredibly handsome, which surprised Link. He was wearing nothing but a few medallions, bracelets, and other assortments of belts and decorations. The fish-man's eyes were a deep golden color, with black slits for pupils. When he opened his mouth to speak, it revealed sharp pointed teeth, just like a shark.

"Pardon the entrance," The fish-man said politely, "but you're Hylians, aren't you?" He spread his arms out like he was performing. "I was hoping perhaps you'd have a moment to talk."

Zelda glanced at Link. "Uh.. yes, we are Hylians…" She said hesitantly.

The fish-man's face suddenly lit up at Zelda's words. "Aha! Hylians! Yes, I knew it!" He cried, straightening his shoulders and relaxing his arms as he noticed Link and Zelda's confused expressions. "Oh, pardon me…" he began, "I am Sidon, the Zora prince!" He proclaimed loudly, raising an arm and flexing it as he gave the two a cheeky smile with his pointed teeth. Link could've sworn he saw them twinkle. "And what are your names?" He asked, again returning to a relaxed stance. When Link and Zelda didn't answer, he tried again. "Go on, please tell me!"

Zelda cleared her throat. "I'm Zelda, and this is my-um…partner, Link." She finished lamely, her cheeks turning slightly pink."

Sidon's face lit up. "Zelda and Link? What fantastic names! Hmm, though I cannot shake the feeling that I have heard them somewhere before…" He trailed off, giving Link and Zelda suspicious looks. The expression instantly vanished as he raised his fists in some sort of fighting stance. "Well, in any case, they are strong names! To be honest, I've been watching you two. Link, specifically. I've seen the way you work." Sidon said, focusing his words on Link. "I can tell by how you carry yourself that you are no ordinary person. Link! You must be a strong warrior among the Hylians, correct?!" He said, louder than necessary.

Link shifted his weight from one foot to the other, before finally resting his hands on his belt. "That's right." He said with a smile, wincing slightly as Zelda hit him in the side with her elbow.

"Aha! Just as I suspected!" Sidon exclaimed. "I am a Zora prince, after all. I have an eye for talent that is unparalleled!"

Zelda pursed her lips, clearly annoyed by being ignored. She opened her mouth to intervene, but Sidon cut her off before she could utter a sound.

"Yes! Exquisite!" He cried. "I have been searching for someone like you for a long while." He said to Link. "A man like you, Link, who carries himself with power! Right now, Zora's Domain is in grave danger because of the massive rainfall coming from Divine Beast Vah Ruta! Please, promise you will help us! We need your strength, warrior! Wouldn't you please come to Zora's Domain with me?"

Zelda perked up. "Actually, that's where we're trying to go right now." She said. "We were tasked by Impa, a friend of ours, to travel to Zora's Domain to cleanse Divine Beast Vah Ruta." She explained.

Sidon smiled brightly. "Wow! Really?!"

Link nodded. "It's the truth." He said.

"Thank you, Link! You are indeed the man I thought you were!" Sidon said happily. Zelda huffed and folded her arms, giving Sidon a sharp glare. The Zora prince, clearly oblivious to Zelda's expression, continued without stopping. "Now Zora's Domain will be saved for certain! No time to waste! Hurry up and head over!" He paused, as if a sudden thought struck him. "Ah, but because of the rain, the cliffs are too wet to climb. To reach the domain, you will need to go straight along this path."

Link looked out across the bridge, scanning the winding road that disappeared around a bend. He frowned, not looking forward to traveling in the rain.

"As Hylians, I know you two are unable to swim up the river. As such, the path to the Domain may be a bit treacherous. You likely have a tough fight in store-there are monsters up ahead that attack with electricity."

Subconsciously, Link placed a hand over his wound on his arm, grimacing at the thought of getting shocked. Hadn't they already been through enough?

Sidon flexed an arm and smiled once again. "Don't give up! I believe in you!" He exclaimed, the rain the only sound before Sidon cleared his throat and continued. "Oh! That's right! I have something that I would like to give to you two! Unfortunately, I only have one, as I wasn't expecting two Hylians, but perhaps it will still do you good. In either case, this is just a small trinket to show that I have faith in you two." He reached behind him and pulled out a glass jar with a strange yellow-green liquid sloshing around inside. He handed the jar to Link. "It is a drink that will increase your resistance to electricity! It's called the Electro Elixir!" He explained. "I am not sure why, but its effects do not seem to work for Zora. Perhaps because it was made specifically for Hylians. It should work wonders for whichever one of you drinks it, though! I shall go on ahead and make sure there is not anything strange going on where you two are headed. I'm counting on you!" And with that, the Zora Prince jumped backwards and twisted in the air, diving headfirst into the river with an exaggerated splash.

Zelda sighed and looked over across the bridge. Her golden hair was soaked from the rain, shifting heavily whenever she moved her head. She grabbed the Sheikah Slate from her hip and opened up the map, zooming in on the path that they would have to take to get to Zora's Domain. She groaned and showed the map to Link. "This is going to take forever!" She complained.

Link took the Slate from Zelda's hands, holding it with one hand while the jar from Sidon rested in his other. "We'll make it." He replied, handing the slab of Sheikah tech back to Zelda. She clasped it back onto her hip and folded her arms.

"It's not going to be fun." She warned. "Especially with this rain."

Link shrugged, wincing slightly from his arm, and presented Zelda the jar of Electro Elixir. "You should drink this." He said.

Zelda gave the jar a disgusted look before her eyes shifted to the blood that had seeped through the fabric on Link's arm. "You're the one with the injury!" She argued, taking Link's left wrist and studying the wound. "We're gonna need a new bandage. This is barely slowing the bleeding, much less stopping it!"

Jerking his arm out of Zelda's grip, Link shook his head. "I'm fine!" He replied. "I'll be fine until we get to Zora's Domain. Perhaps the people there can help it."

Zelda remained stubborn. "You drink the elixir. I'm not going to drag you to Zora's Domain if you get hit with some electric arrow!"

"Alright fine." Link gave in, plucking the lid out of the jar and reluctantly gulping down the contents inside. He grimaced at the sour taste, coughing into his uninjured arm. "That was disgusting!" He exclaimed, glaring at the now empty jar before sticking the lid back in. Zelda took the jar from him, walking over to Caviar and placing the jar in their saddle bag. She had an amused look on her face that was tinted with curiosity.

"...How do you feel?" She asked.

Link shook his head. He didn't feel any different. "Fine, but my taste buds might say otherwise."

Zelda let out a laugh and turned back to Caviar, taking his reigns in one hand. She lead their horse to the bridge. "Well, whether or not your taste buds are still sour, we need to get going. I want to find somewhere to rest that isn't out in the open."

The started onto the bridge with Zelda leading Caviar. It wasn't until they were on the other side when they realized just how tedious and dangerous this little trip would be.

A rock suddenly smashed directly in front of Zelda, causing Caviar to whinny and rear up in surprise. Zelda yelped and kept their horse in line, looking out towards the river on their left. A strange balloon creature was floating in the air before it suddenly dropped into the river. Not a second passed when it jumped back up into the air, shooting another rock towards Zelda out of its mouth.

Instantly Link leapt in front of Zelda and Caviar, pulling out his new shield and holding it in front of him with his good arm. The rock smashed against the shield, jarring Link's arm and pushing him back slightly. Zelda grabbed the same arm as the creature splashed back into the water, preparing to shoot another projectile.

"Let's go!" She cried, dragging Link by her as she lead Caviar up the path. Two more of those same balloon creatures were ahead, hovering in the air until they noticed the travelers. They dropped into the river before jumping up and shooting out rocks at Link, Zelda, and Caviar.

Link stayed closest to the river, keeping his shield up in case one of the rocks were to come towards them. His arm throbbed, but he ignored it. He would take a look at it once they found a place for the night.

Caviar was trotting behind Zelda, neighing loudly in alarm whenever a rock smashed against the cliff face to their right.

They hastily climbed up the hill and turned around a bend. The sound of rocks crashing against the ground disappeared. Link sighed and put the shield back onto his back, looking over at Zelda to see how she was faring.

Thankfully, she looked alright, even if she was breathing hard. She patted Caviar's neck comfortingly as she heaved a large sigh. "This isn't going to be fun at all." She groaned.

Link smiled and chuckled, his grin fading when he heard the familiar scuttling of feet rushing up behind him. He turned, becoming face to face with one of those lizard monsters from before. He yelped and pulled out his shield with his left arm just in time as the monster slashed with its fierce looking boomerang. Link winced at the impact as it jostled his injured arm before drawing out his golden sword and stabbing at the monster. The monster leapt back surprisingly far before scuttling with frightening speed for another attack. Link jumped to the side as the monster slashed at where Link's head was moments before. Before Link could strike back, his injury sent out a sharp wave of pain, causing him to drop his shield and sword. The monster turned towards Link, raising it's weapon when it suddenly froze, letting out a pain filled, gurgling cry before crumbling to the ground.

Standing where the monster was Zelda, gripping the Yiga's sickle with both hands, her knuckles white. She looked down at the weapon in her hands and back at Link before hastily scraping the gore on the grass before slipping the weapon back through one of the straps on Caviar's saddle.

Link stared at Zelda, dumbfounded as she turned towards him. She gasped slightly as she looked back at him. "S-sorry. I panicked." She said quickly.

Smiling, Link laughed and picked up his shield and sword. "Sorry?" He repeated. "Why would you be sorry? That was great!"

Zelda looked confused. "I could've just used the Sheikah Slate, but he was too fast, so I figured I'd use the sickle, but what if I had missed, and then-"

"Zelda." Link said firmly, looking the princess in the eyes. "I have no idea what I'm doing. I would've died right then if it hadn't been for you, so please, next time that happens, do exactly what you just did now, even if you didn't use the Slate."

Zelda smiled, her familiar confidence quickly returning. "Well near death situations are becoming quite the norm for you."

Link smirked. "Really?"

Nodding, Zelda replied. "Maybe you ought to teach me sword fighting so that this doesn't happen again."

Link's smirk faded into an expression of surprise. "Teach you?"

"I'm a fast learner." Zelda said. "Besides, two Hylians against one monsters seems like a much better idea then one on one. And Sidon said that there are more monsters ahead that fight with electricity. I don't think your arm is going to hold up all the way to Zora's Domain."

Link was about to argue, but before he could even open his mouth, Zelda interrupted. "And don't say I can just use the Sheikah Slate. Even if it is helpful and it makes me useful, what if there's more than one monster? Even if I freeze one, the others will be able to attack, and the bombs are too risky."

Pondering the arguments Zelda had pointed out, Link glanced down at the bandage around his arm, noting how red the fabric had become. He looked back up at Zelda. "Alright. I'll teach you." He said. Zelda's smile brightened. "But," Link began, "We've got to find a place to stay for the night."

"How about here then?"

"We've still got time." Link pointed out. "I say we continue up the path until it gets dark."

Zelda nodded in agreement and went over to Caviar. Link walked with her as she grabbed the reigns of their trusty steed, and they were off, walking up along the hill side.

They came around another bend and continued along the path which was now directly next to the river. Several of those balloon monsters noticed them and were about to shoot at them, but Link only pulled out his bow, three arrows, and shot them all.

The path winded across a large slab of rock that stretched across a narrow part of the river, in which it took a few moments to urge Caviar onto and over the makeshift bridge. After a few steps the path winded again over another slab. Once over the other bridge, the path straightened out and curved upwards along the river.

Zelda sighed and opened her mouth to talk when a familiar voice called up to them from the river. "HEY! Link! Zelda!" Both travelers turned towards the voice, seeing Sidon floating in the river and waving at them excitedly.

"Sorry for calling out to you from the river!" He shouted. "Since I pressured you into coming, I was not sure you would really come through. I am pleased that things are going well. Ever since this strange occurrence, there have been a lot of monsters around here."

"No kidding." Zelda muttered. Link smiled at the sarcasm.

"Be careful as you proceed!" Sidon continued. "And hurry! All of my fellow Zora are anxiously awaiting your arrival!" And with no other words, the Zora prince jumped out of the river, twisted in the air, and dived in with a large dramatic splash.

Link and Zelda looked down at the river for a moment before turning and continuing up the mountain, the dirt pathway becoming more rocky as they walked. At the top there was a blue lamp that seemed to glow without fire. It was the only mark that indicated that they were still on the right path.

Without stopping, Link and Zelda rounded a bend, turning away from the river. Another lizard monster suddenly sprang right up in front of them, in which Zelda froze the monster with the Stasis rune, and Link swiftly drew his sword and decapitated the creature. They continued along, finding themselves in a short narrow canyon providing some shelter from the rain.

They stopped here, taking off the saddle bag for Caviar for the night. Zelda pulled out some bread and dried meat for a short dinner, before they both sat against the canyon wall, trying their best to stay out of the relentless rain. They ate in silence, grateful for the food, however stale it was.

Afterwards Zelda told Link to hold out his injured arm. She carefully undid the bandage, wincing as she saw the wound.

It hadn't healed at all. The only good thing was that the bleeding had slowed. Otherwise, it smelled awful, and looked infected. Link grimaced as Zelda tentatively dabbed at the wound with the fabric. She tossed the bloody makeshift bandage to the side and grabbed her old outfit, ripping some more, clean fabric. She had Link hold out his arm again, and she used the fabric to try to clean some more of the dried blood and infection. It was painful and the attempts seemed to take them nowhere, but both Link and Zelda felt satisfied for at least trying.

Without a word, Zelda wrapped up the wound like before, making it tighter so that it would continue to stem the bleeding, however slow it was. Link sighed once she was finished, his arm throbbing from the pain it had just endured.

The sky had just darkened when Link and Zelda both agreed to go to sleep, mumbling goodnight to each other and lying down on the hard rock path, Zelda using the rest of her old outfit as a pillow.

The trip to Zora's Domain soon set into a mundane rhythm that Link and Zelda both looked forward to abandoning. They would trek along the harsh pathway, following the flameless lanterns as best they could, occasionally striking down the scuttling lizard monsters that often wielded bows with shock arrows.

As the day stretched forward, Link's arm continued to fester and throb, making it increasingly difficult to fend off the monsters. Zelda continued to pester him to teach him sword fighting, and occasionally, when they weren't being chased down, he would show her some techniques as they walked, him wielding the golden sword, and Zelda with the Yiga's sickle.

Sidon often called from the river, making sure they were okay and cheering them on with words of grandeur. The Zora Prince made it quite clear that he believed they were strong warriors, and that his people were anxiously awaiting their grand arrival. The words of comfort, even if they seemed slightly exaggerated at times, was well appreciated by the two travelers.

As the sun began its journey down the horizon, Link and Zelda winded down a short hill and came upon a marvelous sight that made them both grin largely. Before them was a large structure that was the home of the Zora. Large cliffs surrounded the Domain, the illuminated blue causing a sharp contrast with the dark rock. Zelda quickly grabbed her Sheikah Slate, looking at the map. She looked back up at the impressive Domain, her smile growing.

They had arrived.

As Link and Zelda entered into Zora's Domain, standing at the entrance, Sidon ran towards them, his face radiating joy and surprise. He held his arms out, crying out in surprise. "Whoa!" He stared at the two.

Link raised his hand in greeting, and Zelda smiled politely.

Sidon continued to speak. "I've been waiting for you two!" He said, flexing an arm in his familiar gesture. "Welcome! Behold the pride of my people, Zora's Domain! Now I shall introduce you to the king. Hurry, this way!" And with that, the prince turned on his heel and began to walk, Link and Zelda hurrying to keep up with his long strides. As they trudged deeper into the Domain, many of the Zora's stopped and gawked at the two travel worn Hylians, their eyes lingering on the Sheikah Slate on Zelda's hip. They passed by a statue of a female Zora with a beautiful trident pointed at the ground. The face of the Zora struck a chord in Link, but he decided now wasn't the time to ask Sidon about it. They continued up some shallow stairs, passing some older Zora who gave Link and Zelda both a look of disgust and hate. Trying not to pay attention to their glaring eyes, Link continued on behind Zelda and Sidon, soon entering into a large throne room.

A large Zora who resembled more of a whale sat before them, gazing down on them with intelligent eyes that had seen many battles. Sidon continued forward when Link and Zelda stopped, standing at the right hand side of the King. A green elder Zora stood on the left, gazing at Link with the same hatred as the others.

Link glanced at Sidon before looking up at the mighty Zora King. Zelda clasped her hands behind her back. The room was silent for a moment before the King spoke, his deep voice reverberating deep within Link's bones.

"Ah, you must be the Hylians that Sidon brought here, correct?" Zelda nodded, and the King continued. "You two did well to come all the way here!" The King praised, raising his chin. "I am King Dorephan, ruler of the Zora." He proclaimed, his eyes widening slightly as he looked upon Zelda. "Hm? That object upon your waist, young lady… is that not a Sheikah Slate?! Now that I have gotten a good look at you two, it is all too clear who stands in our midst." He directed his attention at Link. "You are the Hylian Champion, Link!" The King turned his eyes back onto Zelda. "And you are King Rhoam's daughter, Princess Zelda! Do not tell me you two have forgotten me…"

"The Hylian Champion? You can't mean THE Link? THAT Champion?! And the Princess?" Sidon interrupted, "So that's where I have heard your names before! What a fateful coincidence that we should cross paths!"

"I cannot believe it. The Hylian Champion, and the Princess of Hyrule have appeared before us… We have met numerous times, I'll have you two know. Ah… So many memories! My mind is overflowing with nostalgia, my friends. I had heard a terrible rumor that you both had fallen in the return of the Calamity, but it appears you managed to survive. Extraordinary!"

"Well, you see…" Zelda began, telling the King and the Prince their awakening in the Shrine of Resurrection, and the fate of their memories.

"Come again? 100 years you two have been asleep? And you do not remember me?" The King looked downhearted. "Link, surely you must remember my precious daughter, Mipha, yes? You do, do you not?"

Link glanced at Zelda guiltily before responding. "I don't."

"I can't believe it… Have you truly forgotten my dear Mipha as well? You and Mipha were so close… Yet you do not remember her? Young hero… When you entered into our beautiful Domain, did you not see that statue of the young Zora maiden? Does gazing upon Mipha's immortalized form still not jog your memory?"

Link sadly shook his head.

King Dorephan sighed. "Well, perhaps your memories will return in time. I dearly hope so."

"Father…" Sidon intervened, "I do not believe discussing my sister is helping matters at the moment. Link and Zelda seem confused."

The King blinked for a moment, seemingly caught off guard, as if he was lost in a memory. "Oh? Yes, of course. But first, it is worth noting how remarkable it is that Sidon brought the Hylian Champion AND the Princess herself here without realizing it! That is quite a feat, my boy!" King Dorephan laughed heartily, rocking his throne and the roof of the open room itself. "Wah ha ha! That is a good one!" As soon as the King had started to laugh, he finished, his expression turning serious once more. "Link, Zelda, I doubt not that you have endured a great many trials. Still, I must ask you to hear my plea. Now then… I must inform you that Zora's Domain is in danger of vanishing because of Divine Beast Vah Ruta. I shall do you the courtesy of speaking bluntly. We alone cannot stop this beast. Will you, Link, lend us your strength? And you, Zelda, your wisdom?"

"What?!" The green Zora to the left of King Dorephan suddenly cried out, his expression that of complete horror. "King Dorephan! My liege! Please do not speak so! To ask Hylians for help… Why, the very thought of it curls my fins!"

The King looked down at the Zora with a disappointed frown. "Muzu, I expected more of you. How can you still protest?"

"Muzu! It is rude to speak that way to your king and his guests. Link and Zelda are here because I invited them!" Sidon proclaimed. "With such unprecedented rainfall, we have no choice but to rely on the aid of these trustworthy Hylians. Have we not already discussed this and arrived at that very conclusion? They are the key to saving Zora's Domain. I have no doubt in my mind."

"Indeed! Link and Zelda are our trusted guests, through and through." King Dorephan agreed. "As things now stand, Zora's Domain… Nay! Perhaps all of Hyrule… is doomed to be swallowed by the sea. This is bigger than all of us, my friend." King Dorephan explained, directing his attention to Muzu, who seemed to be fuming with rage. "Zora and Hylians alike must put aside our differences and band together."

"Have you forgotten already, my king?! We cannot trust these lowly Hylians!" Muzu argued, his hands clenched into fists. They were trembling with anger. "A hundred years ago, they abused the power of an ancient civilization and turned Hyrule into what it is today! And that is not the least of it!" His anger seemed to suddenly leave him, and with his hands clasped behind his back, he muttered, "It is their fault that Lady Mipha was lost to us…"

King Dorephan sighed, taking a moment before speaking. "Link, Zelda… Divine Beast Vah Ruta has great power. It has the unique ability to create an endless supply of water. Of late it has been mercilessly spouting water into the air. As a result, this area has been plagued by heavy rains. For us Zora, water and air are as one, so you would not think this would be quite so critical of a problem. Sadly, the rains have filled the easter reservoir nearly to the point of flooding. If the reservoir bursts, as it soon will, I fear immense damage will befall not only Zora's Domain…"

"But also Hyrule." Zelda finished for him, looking at the ground as she thought about the problem.

Just then, a loud cry that sounded like a pained elephant shook the room, but instead of fear or alarm, the King, Sidon, and even Muzu only looked out towards the reservoir with grief. "Hmm… The Divine Beast is crying out once again…" King Dorephan muttered softly, just as the Beast cried out once more before the room grew eerily silent. Link shivered from the sound the Beast had made. "The Divine Beast Vah Ruta…" The King began quietly, "Zelda, you often studied the Divine Beasts. That is, in the time before the Great Calamity."

Zelda raised her head at the sound of her name, her eyes becoming filled with that familiar glint of curiosity and wonder that Link remembered seeing in his memories of her.

The King continued. "According to your research, the orbs located on Ruta's shoulders are mechanisms that can control the water it generates. However, they require electricity to work. These orbs are clearly out of control now because there is no electricity coursing through to stop them."

"Seggin, who is quite shock resistant for a Zora, hit one with a shock arrow. Sure enough, it slowed the water a bit." Sidon said, "Unfortunately, as an aquatic race, we Zora are terribly vulnerable to the power of electricity. Perhaps because we could not safely strike it with enough electricity at once, the water soon returned to its full force. That is why I went in search of a Hylian who could help us!" Sidon flexed his arm, smiling pridefully before resuming talking. "We need you two to use shock arrows to get those orbs working properly again! I will aid you both in any way I can, of course. Please… I beg of you. Help me stop Ruta's rampage of destruction!"

"Well, um…" Link started but instantly trailed away, leaving the explaining for Zelda herself.

"You see, your majesty, a good friend of ours, Impa, instructed us to enter the Divine Beast and cleanse it from the inside." Zelda explained.

King Dorephan leaned forward, intrigued. "Oh? She told you to board Vah Ruta? Well now… that creates a whole new perspective… The events of 100 years ago cannot be altered, it is true. But if we can regain control of the Divine Beasts… they may yet prove useful in sealing Calamity Ganon once and for all!"

"I did not know you had such grand ambitions…" Sidon said, quickly regaining his posture and flexing once again. "Wondrous! Naturally, I shall help too! Once it has stopped rampaging, you two can easily climb inside it. Come, Link, Zelda! Let us appease Ruta together!"

Link nodded while Zelda smiled. Sidon seemed overjoyed, while the King gave a small smile as well. "Thank you. Truly. We are in your debt. Our goal is the same. That means our meeting was nothing short of destiny. Now then… allow me to offer gifts as a show of faith."

Immediately, a younger Zora tottered in, holding a heavily armored shirt with blue fabric. The Zora gave the shirt to Link, while another Zora came in and gave similar armor to Zelda. Muzu's eyes widened as he looked at the shirt Link was now holding.

"So long as you both wear this Zora armor, you can ascend waterfalls, just like a Zora. Princess, your armor is one of our best crafted, but the one you, Link, now hold, is especially important. Please take good care of it." The King said.

"King Dorephan!" Muzu shouted, "Surely you do not intend to give these outsiders the Zora armor! Countless generations of Zora princesses have gifted that armor to the one they have sworn to marry! Princess Mipha made that one there with her own hands!" Muzu exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger to the shirt that Link was holding. "It is far too important to entrust to a shady Hylian! He may be a Champion, but Mipha had no such relationship with him. So why should HE receive such an honor? And the Princess!" The old Zora growled, turning his attention to Zelda. "Such precious crafted armor is far too valuable! Zora has only ever given such gifts to our most trusted friends, not some failed princess who was 100 years too late!"

Link felt his heart rate quicken in anger at the old Zora as he insulted Zelda. And what was this about the armor he now held? It was some sort of engagement ring?

"This is just too much, my liege! I do not understand it one bit!" Muzu cried, stomping out of the throne room.

King Dorephan watched Muzu leave with pity. "Please forgive Muzu's rudeness. You must understand… he was in charge of educating my dear daughter, Mipha. Naturally, she means a lot to him… just as she means the world to us. Ever since we lost her to the Calamity, he has grown to despise Hylians. But now we face a tedious problem… I tasked Muzu with finding the shock arrows needed to defeat Vah Ruta. But now he has rushed off in a huff."

"Do not let his words concern either of you two. I will work this out with Muzu. I shall return shortly!" Sidon exclaimed, immediately turning and running out of the throne room. Once the prince had left, the King lowered his voice to a mumble.

"Sidon… I suppose that means you are going to tell him… Link, Zelda," the King began, raising his voice once more, "Muzu is most likely at the square down below. Would you two mind going down there? I would like you to try to speak with him."

"Of course." Zelda replied, turning around and walking out of the throne room. Link followed, wincing as his injury sent a shock of pain through his arm. He subconsciously decided that after this mess was sorted out with Muzu, he would have his arm looked at.

The King had been right. Muzu and Sidon both stood in the square, next to the statue. The two Zora were locked in an argument, and when Link and Zelda walked up to the encounter, Muzu scoffed.

"Hmph. You came all the way here, but it was in vain. I have no desire to speak with either of you." The old Zora snarled.

"Listen well, Muzu. There is something you need to know." Sidon said, his voice tainted with sympathy. "He who stands here… the man called Link… is the one whom my sister, Mipha, had feelings for. I was only a child then, so I did not know it myself at the time. But it is so. I grew up hearing my father tell stories, some of which were about my sister's undying love for a Hylian named Link."

Muzu stared at Sidon in horror and disgust. "What?! No… You cannot fool me with such a fanciful lie. Not this Zora! How could Lady Mipha possibly have feelings for a Hylian like him?!" The initial shock of Sidon's words wore off from the old Zora's face, leaving a fierce glare in his eyes. "The facts are clear. He remembers nothing. Even when he looks upon Princess Mipha's statue…"

"It is the truth, Muzu. though you never knew it, he was ever in Mipha's heart." Sidon said earnestly.

Link looked away from the argument and up at the statue, gazing into the soft expression of the Zora Princess. Time seemed to stop for a moment, the voices of the two Zora fading into muffled whispers. Link suddenly felt alone and cold, the statue pricking the back of his mind, scraping at his vault of memories yet to be known. After what seemed an eternity, the vault opened just a crack, flooding Link's vision with sudden darkness.

_Mipha always loved spending time near her Divine Beast, as if it were some giant cuddly bear dog. Link knew this, as well as how gentle the Princess became whenever she healed one of his wounds. _

_Even now, as the two of them sat on the trunk of Vah Ruta, Mipha was healing a rather large scrape on his right arm, the soft blue glow that emanated from her palm making the wound itch. But, he didn't mind. It helped when Mipha started to speak, her quiet voice soothing the irritation. _

"_I was thinking…" She began, "this reminds me of the time we first met." Link smiled at the memory, even as she spoke of it. "You were just a reckless child… always getting yourself hurt at every turn. Every time, I would heal you. Just as I'm doing right now. I thought it was funny how, being a Hylian, you looked grown-up so much faster than I did." _

_Link looked up at Mipha, and their eyes met. "I was… I was always willing to heal your wounds. Even back then." She looked back down at the blue glow from her healing, just as the scrape vanished as if it had never been there. The blue glow vanished as well, and Link looked over his arm, always impressed by how quickly a wound like that could just disappear. He put his arm down and resituated himself into a comfier position as Mipha continued to speak. _

"_So if this Calamity Ganon does, in fact, return, what can we really do? We just don't seem to know much about what we'll be up against." She sighed then took a breath, as if to recollect herself. "But know this: that no matter how difficult this battle might get… If you-if anyone ever tries to do you harm… Then I will heal you. No matter when, or how bad the wound… I hope you know… that I will always protect you." She said gently, looking down at her hands that were clasped in front of her. "Once this whole thing is over… maybe things can go back to how they used to be when we were young. You know…" She looked back up at Link. "Perhaps we could spend some time together."_

Link's eyes shot open, and he found himself lying down on something soft. Disorientated, he sat up, surprised to see Zelda sitting by the bed he was on. She smiled brightly as they made eye contact.

"You're awake!" She exclaimed.

"Link!" Sidon suddenly ran up to the bed, kneeling down on the other side so that they were at eye level. "When you passed out in the square, we had no idea what had happened! Are you alright?"

Link blinked a couple of times, still trying to get his bearings. He looked around the room he was in, spotting Muzu standing against a wall, watching him with eyes filled with steel. "Where am I?" Link asked.

"We brought you to the Inn." Zelda explained, nodding her head at Link's left arm. Link looked down, surprised to see clean white bandages around the wound. His sleeve had been pulled up to his shoulder. "While you were out, we had one of the Zora women come in and clean up the infection. They stitched it up as well."

"I had no idea you bore such a grievous wound, Hero! Why didn't you tell me?" Sidon asked.

Link was about to shrug, but he thought better of it. He didn't want to disturb his newly stitched arm. "I thought it could wait."

"Perhaps the Champion would like to explain what happened in the square?" Muzu cut in, walking towards the bed. "Certainly a strong hero like yourself wouldn't pass out from a measly scratch?" The old Zora sneered.

"The wound was infected, Muzu." Sidon explained.

"I remember her." Link said bluntly, looking straight at Muzu.

Muzu looked shocked. "WHAT?!" He exclaimed. "Do not mistake me for a fool, Hylian! There is no way you remembered her just now, when it is most convenient." He quickly regained his calm and collected posture. "In any case, without any solid proof, I cannot possibly take you at your word! If you have any such proof, now is the time to show it. Do so and… and I… I shall tell you how to get those shock arrows! Yes, as well as anything else you wish to know."

Link looked over at Zelda, noticing the Zora armor that Mipha had made sitting on top of a small table behind her. An idea suddenly popped into his head. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood, quickly grabbing the Zora armor and, taking off his Champions tunic, pulled on the blue and silver armor, ignoring the pain in his arm from the fresh stitches.

The armor fit perfectly, the silver pendants and decorations dangling perfectling from the carefully stitched fabric.

Sidon gasped silently as he looked upon the armor, as well as Zelda. However, there was something else in her eyes when she scanned over the shirt.

"Muzu! Look closely at the clothes Link is wearing!" Sidon exclaimed, looking up at Muzu with excitement.

Muzu looked over at Link. "Hm? You really think changing your clothes is going to make me…Eh?!" The old Zora's eyes widened. "What in the… That is the Zora armor from before! Lady Mipha made that by hand… and yet it fits you perfectly! What is the meaning of this?!"

"Now you understand, do you not?" Sidon said, "Now you know who her heart belonged to and who she made this special armor for. The fact that this armor fits Link perfectly should be proof enough that Mipha made it for him and him alone! You have always disliked Hylians, even before the Great Calamity. That is why Mipha never told you. Now that you know, you must promise to help him save us all, Muzu. Please… Tell us where we can find the shock arrows we need. Knowing you, I bet you have already figured it out."

Finally, Muzu looked at Link without anger, but with bitter content. "Hmph. I never would have imagined she would make that special armor for one such as he…" He trailed away, looking at the ground as if thinking intensely before looking back up with his decision made. "I do not approve of asking for help from a Hylian, but I suppose it is our only option at this point. I am a proud Zora. that means I must take responsibility for my unwarranted behavior toward you. As promised, I shall tell you where you can collect as many shock arrows as you will need." He turned his attention to Zelda.

"There is a tall mountain just outside of Zora's Domain. It is called Ploymus Mountain, and there you will also find Shatterback Point. I believe your Sheikah Slate has a map, yes?" When Zelda confirmed his inquiry, he continued. "Then you will be able to find this mountain, and there you will find a terrifying creature that has made its home there. This awful beast shoots volley after volley of shock arrows. Even a single one could be fatal to a Zora." Muzu explained.

"Aha!" Sidon exclaimed. "You must mean that Lynel! He is a man-beast, that one! That beast does indeed wield shock arrows. That is certainly one way to collect them quickly. He is vicious, to be sure. But I am certain we will rise to the challenge."

Muzu nodded. "In order to appease the Divine Beast, I estimate that you will need… hmmm… at least 20 shock arrows. Do you think you can gather that many?" Muzu asked, mainly focusing the question to Link, who glanced at his injured arm that was now covered by the armor.

"Why do you still doubt him, Muzu! I have no doubt he will be triumphant!" Sidon said brightly. "Link, Zelda, let's get moving. The fastest way to Ploymus Mountain is to ascend the waterfalls east of the domain! That new Zora armor should come in handy!"

"Sidon, you don't intend to come with us, do you?" Zelda asked.

The Zora prince looked confused. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Muzu just said that a single arrow could prove fatal for a Zora. It's far too dangerous, and you're the prince!" Zelda explained.

Sidon looked a little put off by this, but he sighed and nodded his head. "You're right, I'm afraid… very well, I will wait at East Reservoir Lake, right by the Divine Beast. Gather what you can, then come join me!"

Zelda smiled and nodded. "We will return." She said confidently.

**And so will I! I've almost got the next chapter done and ready, which is good news not only for you but for me as well. Anyways, thank you for reading, and if you had a good time, please drop a review! **


	9. Plunge at Shatterback Point

"You really think this is going to work?" Link asked, craning his neck to see up the large roaring waterfall before them, the morning sun glinting off of it's shining waters.

"Well, I guess we're about to find out now, aren't we?" Zelda replied, looking down at her Zora armour that she had put on before they had left Zora's Domain. The Zora had also been as kind as to give them free beds to spend the night in, as well as a full meal, which made Link _very _happy. They had also promised safety and care for their horse, Caviar.

Zelda's Zora armour looked similar to Link's, but it was longer, making it a short dress that had Zora's fins on the ends, making her look like one of the Zora women. It was blue, like Link's, with less decorative material and more silver plates of armour.

Together, Link and Zelda walked into the shallow water, climbing up onto a large boulder just at the waterfall. With one glance at each other, Link and Zelda dove in, instantly feeling the force of the waterfall as it crashed down onto them. Link quickly kicked his legs with all of his strength, reaching up and propelling himself up the waterfall.

The feeling was exhilarating and unsteady. At any moment, Link felt as if he was about to be shoved back down to the ground below from the waterfalls incredible force, while at the same time, he felt confident that the rushing water pushing down around him had no hold on him.

The climb felt like it only lasted a few seconds, with Link bursting out of the water and landing with a roll on the ground. He looked up to see Zelda already standing, panting with a large grin on her face.

"That was…" She began.

"Different." Link finished for her, and they both shared a laugh.

Zelda's smile faltered for a moment, and she looked out towards Zora's Domain. Link followed her gaze, sighing at the beautiful sight, even if it was muted by the onslaught of rain.

"I wonder what this place looks like without this horrible weather." Zelda said quietly.

Link nodded. "It must be a work of art." He replied.

Zelda looked at her feet, when she suddenly stumbled backwards as if struck by some invisible force. Her eyes fluttered for a moment, before she gasped and froze. Startled, Link stepped forward, seeing that her eyes were staring up at the waterfall before them. They were unfocused, and Link wondered if she was experiencing some sort of memory.

It only took a few moments before Zelda's eyes slowly opened, and as her eyes focused on Link, she gasped again and stumbled, almost falling over until Link grabbed hold of her shoulders to steady her. She took a second to recollect herself, then looked straight into Link's eyes. "I remember Mipha." She stated.

Link smiled, expecting Zelda to do the same from the happy news, but Zelda wasn't smiling. "Well that's good… right?"

"Of course it is," Zelda replied quickly. "but I don't… feel good about it, or about… her."

Link was confused. "Why?" He asked simply.

Zelda's cheeks flushed. "Well, she-she made you that Zora Armour! That's practically proposing!"

"Yes, I understand that." Link nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"But I-she-you-" Zelda's voice cut off, and she took a deep breath. "She's dead, and well, I-we might… see her."

Link looked over Zelda's face, wondering why this would be such a horrible thing. "Perhaps…" He agreed hesitantly.

Zelda let out an exasperated sigh, placing her hands on her hips. "I just don't want anything to become… quiet between us again."

"I'm not going to do that again. I already learned my lesson." He said confidently. He looked at the ground for a moment, connecting the dots in his head. _Zelda doesn't want things to go quiet again, and she's predicting it will if we see Mipha again? But why? _Link looked back up at Zelda again. "What exactly did you remember about Mipha?"

"I'll explain as we walk." Zelda said, pointing at the next waterfall that they needed to climb. Link nodded and they began towards the thundering waterfall. "I remember talking with Mipha at the top of a waterfall, just like where we just were." Zelda begins, looking forwards. "I was recruiting her, or asking her to be a champion, and to pilot Divine Beast Vah Ruta. She accepted of course, and she also spoke with Sidon, who was only a child." Zelda smiled. "I'm used to having Zora live for more than 100 years, but to think that you and I are as old as the eldest of the Zora…"

"It is strange." Link agreed, his mind recoiling at the thought just as they reached the base of the waterfall. He turned to face Zelda. "Well, in any case, I don't see why the memories of Mipha might upset you, but I hope it doesn't trouble you too much."

Zelda smiled and nodded. "Don't worry about me. It's just a bit… overwhelming."

Link chuckled. "You can say that again."

The rest of the waterfalls weren't a challenge for the two travelers, and they found themselves at the top of Ploymus Mountain in seconds. All they needed to do to get to the peak was climb around a bend and confront the Lynel that had made it's home there.

Without a word for fear of alerting the Lynel of their presence, Link and Zelda walked up and around, crouching low to the ground just before lifting themselves above the ridge. It looked like the mountain leveled out with the peak continuing up on the other side.

Link looked at Zelda and nodded, and they both peaked to see if they could spot the Lynel. What Sidon had said about the monster being a "man-beast" was not a metaphor. The creature before them was literally half man, half horse, except he was gigantic, just short of the giant they had faced on their way to Zora's Domain. However, that wasn't the frightening thing about him. The man part of the beast had dark scarred skin, and his face resembled more of a monster than man. His eyes glowed a dim green, and a fierce mane of startling red hair that matched his tail surrounded his head with two long vicious looking horns coming out from his forehead. The only clothes the creature wore was a loin cloth with no armor to cover his bare chest, arms and legs. On his back was a large shield, bow, and a crude sword with a blade as large as Link.

As quietly as he could, Link pulled out his own golden sword, not taking out his shield. His left arm was still sore from the stitches, and he didn't want to irritate more than he already had. He began to move forward, but Zelda pulled him back down.

"Wait-" She whispered, "Let's not fight him if we don't have to." She pointed to a nearby tree next to a large boulder, which had four shock arrows sticking out of its trunk. More shock arrows stuck out of the ground around it that reminded Link again of the giant from their little "shortcut".

Link looked back at Zelda. "...Okay. Good idea." He whispered back, glancing at the Lynel out of the corner of his eye. The beast began to walk to the left, with its back to them. As quietly as possible, Link and Zelda both scurried from their hiding place and hurried behind the boulder, picking up the shock arrows around them and pulling the ones out of the tree trunk.

They had almost got all of them when Link tried to grab the last one from the trunk, but it wouldn't budge. The Lynel was walking around the perimeter of the field, and he soon would be facing them. Heart rate increasing, Link pulled on the arrow harder, accidentally snapping it in half. The snap was loud and piercing, seemingly louder than an arrow would normally snap. The Lynel's head snapped towards them, and Link instantly ducked behind the boulder, clutching onto the half he had snapped off. Zelda was next to him, closing her eyes as she leaned against the boulder. The sound of the Lynel's hooves were soft and muffled, but Link could tell that he was coming towards them.

Forcing himself to calm down and slow his breathing, Link listened for any sign that the Lynel had stopped moving. He had. Urging himself to look to see where the Lynel was, Link slowly turned and peaked just barely around the boulder.

The Lynel had resumed its walk around the perimeter, seemingly having no interest in the sound anymore. Link breathed a sigh of relief, turning to Zelda and smiling, giving her a thumbs up. She smiled back, the expression strained and forced.

The only hiding place closest to them was another boulder that was just ahead, so with one last look at the Lynel, Link and Zelda darted out from their safe haven and settled behind the other boulder. This time Zelda peaked around the boulder, and when she looked back at Link, she pointed to where the Lynel was. Link nodded and they darted again from their hiding spot, finding another boulder to wait behind.

There were more shock arrows sticking out of the ground, and with every one that they came across, they snatched it up as quickly as possible. Soon they had 11 arrows in their arms, with the Lynel inching closer to them by the second. It was a miracle they hadn't been discovered yet.

But then, of course, their luck didn't last long. The Lynel had made it to the first tree trunk and boulder they had hidden behind, and he stopped his patrol, leaning down to look at the snapped arrow that was still stuck in the tree. His nostrils flared and he straightened up, letting out a loud thunderous roar that shook the trees. Link and Zelda froze behind their boulder, both of their faces paling. The Lynel quickened his pace, scanning the fields for any more signs that there were intruders.

The two Hylians looked around for the closest boulder or tree or anything that they could hide behind, but the boulder closest to them was almost ten feet away. The Lynel would surely see them if they tried to make a run for it. But what choice did they have?

Situating themselves so that they could sprint as fast as possible, Link and Zelda glanced at each other, then sprinted for the boulder. Once behind the rock they stopped and froze, waiting for any sign that they had been seen. Remarkably, no sign from the Lynel came. The only sound was the clicks and clacks from the monsters hooves.

Zelda was breathing hard, but she gave Link another nervous smile to let him know she was okay. Link nodded and turned away, looking around the boulder to see the Lynel. The monster had his bow out with three shock arrows strung, and he pointed the projectiles up into the air, stretched its arm back, and released the arrows straight up into the air. Link frowned in confusion, looking back at Zelda and seeing her stretching out her hand to grab another shock arrow close by. As her hand inched out towards the arrow, the hairs on the back of Link's neck stood straight up, and it felt as if a lighting bolt was about to strike. Link's stomach dropped in realization. "Zelda, wait!" He cried, grabbing her waist and tugging her back towards him. She yelped just as three shock arrows stabbed into the ground right where Zelda's hand would've been hadn't Link intervened.

The Lynel instantly roared again, and Zelda scrambled off of Link in a panic. Link then heard the familiar twang of an arrow being released from a bow, and he grabbed Zelda's arm and darted away from the boulder, three shock arrows landing right where they had been moments before.

As Link glanced over his shoulder at the boulder, the Lynel was directly next to it, and he already had three more arrows strung again, pointed directly at them. "Run!" Link shouted, keeping his grip on Zelda's arm as they sprinted away from the monster, zigzagging to make it harder for the creature to aim.

Shock arrows continued to land at their feet, forcing them to run faster. Link tried to keep boulders and trees between them and the Lynel, but an arrow always seemed to find its target.

As fast as possible, Link led Zelda behind another boulder to take a breath. "We need to get more shock arrows!" Zelda exclaimed. Link nodded looking around the boulder to find the Lynel stalking towards them with his sword and shield out.

"What are we supposed to do?" He asked.

"You distract the Lynel, and I'll collect the arrows. Once I have twenty I'll shout and we'll escape." Zelda hurriedly explains.

Link glanced around the boulder once more before facing Zelda and nodding once more. "Alright. But be quick." He said, gripping his sword before sprinting out from cover. The Lynel's beady eyes instantly zeroed in on Link, before it bellowed in anger and raised its sword into the air, rearing up on its hind legs before crashing down and stabbing its sword into the ground, releasing a huge explosion of fire. Link instantly pulled out his shield, but the force of the impact still sent him flying, landing roughly onto the ground and sliding into a tree.

Groaning, Link groggily sat up, his vision blurred and blinded from the pain. Just as his eyes refocused, he saw the Lynel preparing its sword to strike, just as Zelda began to yell and scream from the opposite side of the field, waving her arms and jumping up and down. She must have taken shelter behind the boulder from the explosion.

The Lynel stopped its attack and whirled around, charging at Zelda, who tried to freeze the Lynel with the Stasis rune from the Sheikah Slate, but it only paused him for a second before the golden light shattered. Link quickly got up, keeping a hand on the tree to keep from falling over. As fast as possible, Link grabbed his bow and snatched a shock arrow from the ground, aiming towards the Lynel and releasing the projectile.

The arrow whistled through the air and struck the Lynel in the back of the head, causing the beast to roar in agony and stumble to the ground, holding its head in one hand while the other rested on its sword. Without hesitation, Link sprinted towards the kneeling beast, shouting at Zelda to continue collecting shock arrows, before he jumped up and onto the back of the Lynel without a second thought.

Instantly the monster woke up from its stunned posture and began to buck, Link taking out his sword and stabbing again and again the the Lynel's back. Feeling his grip slipping, Link quickly flipped backwards off of the Lynel just as it sprinted away from him, turning sharply around and charging at Link with its sword and shield out. Link focused in on the charging beast and flipped backwards once right as the monster swung his mighty sword.

The Lynel dug his hooves into the ground, stopping abruptly due to surprise. Link took advantage of this, taking his sword out before he touched the ground and lounged at the monster, slashing at his legs and side.

Growling in frustration and pain, the man-beast swung his arm back, ready to strike with his sword. Link saw this, but he was already mid stroke when the monster began its attack. Time seemed to slow as Link pulled his shield out right as the Lynel struck the metal, throwing Link back from the sheer force of the swing.

Landing hard on his back once more, Link blinked away the spots in his eyes and weakly sat up. The Lynel's gaze burned with fury and ferocity as it stood and waited, sword and shield still out.

Ignoring the searing pain in his stitched up arm, Link clambered back onto his feet, noticing the large dent in his shield and discarding it without a second thought. Now with only a sword, Link felt outmatched and defenseless. Which he was.

Looking past the Lynel, Link saw Zelda pick up one last shock arrow before waving them frantically in the air. She had finally gathered twenty shock arrows. Now Link had to someone sidestep the Lynel, which was standing between him and Zelda, and he was blocking the only way back down the mountain. Link was stuck with the only way to go was up to the peak.

Taking advantage of the small distraction, the Lynel suddenly charged at Link, who jumped to the side just in time before the monster spun and charged again, slightly to the other side of link, forcing him to jump diagonally up the peak. Link just barely gathered his senses when shock arrows landed right at his feet, the beast already knocking three more. In a moment of panic and desperation, Link sprinted diagonally up the peak, zigzagging to try to avoid the arrows. The projectiles landing at his feet every few seconds.

Without Link realizing before it was too late, he found himself at the very top of the peak, glancing at a sign that said "JUMP AT YOUR OWN RISK!" Link quickly turned to face the Lynel, who had put his bow away and was smiling grotesquely. Link's stomach dropped as he glanced over his shoulder at the long long drop to the east reservoir below, then back again to the monster. _He was leading me here the entire time like some sort of cattle! _Link realized with a shock.

Slowly, the Lynel pulled its sword out once more, not even bothering to grab its shield out. It took a warning step forward before it lounged at Link.

Again, the air grew thick and tune seemed to stop as Link jumped to the side as the Lynel's momentum carried the beast forward. While in air, Link grabbed his sword out and slashed at one if the Lynel's legs, causing the man-beast to cry out and lose its footing, it giant monstrous body and weight carrying him over the edge of the peak and plunging down down below to certain death.

Link rolled out if his jump and stood, hurrying to the edge of the cliff and looking down at the water below, the Lynel long gone.

Smiling, Link placed his sword back in its sheath on his hip as he recalled an old rumor from his blurry past that water seemed to turn as hard as the ground when fallen upon from a great height. Glancing again at the warning sign, Link scoffed. "Jump at your own risk makes it sound like you might survive." He mumbled quietly to himself before turning and heading back down the peak, Zelda racing towards him in the near distance.

Now armed with twenty shock arrows, Link and Zelda arrived at the East Reservoir, where Sidon stood with another Zora at the end of a single dock, both of them looking up at the great Divine Beast Vah Ruta.

Link's gaze drifted upwards, and when it landed on the Divine Beast, his jaw dropped open in awe. He heard Zelda gasp beside him.

The great Beast was larger than anything Link could've ever imagined. It towered above them, the deep reservoir only lapping at its legs. The Beast itself was shaped like an elephant, with a long curved trunk that was spouting out water like one of the waterfalls Link and Zelda had to climb earlier.

But however grand and incredible the machine was, it looked and felt threatening and filled with malice, sending out an aura of uncontrollable grief with a dark undertone of endless anger, a deep bottomless pit that Link felt like he was staring straight into. Shaking the feeling, Link tore his eyes away from the behemoth and focused in on the two Zora before them, who had both already noticed them.

"Link! Zelda!" Sidon cried out, holding out his arms in his usual over-the-top attitude as the two Hylians walked towards him. "Glad to see you're ready to go!"

The tall black Zora next to Sidon turned around, looking over Link and Zelda with an expressionless face. "Do you have enough shock arrows?" He asked, his eyes flicking to the bow hanging on Link's back.

Sidon smiled as he glanced over at the black Zora, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Allow me to introduce my friend. This is Tottika, and he is a close friend of mine! He's one of our most skilled warriors, and he is willing to accept help from you Hylians!" Sidon explained excitedly, flexing his arm as he flashed a smile. "But, my friend here does pose an appropriate question. Do you have enough shock arrows?"

Zelda nodded and smiled. "We're ready."

"Wonderful!" Sidon exclaimed. "You Hylians never cease to amaze! Now then, let us go and appease that Divine Beast as one!" The Zora Prince looked over at his friend Tottika, who gave him a serious nod. Sidon turned back to Link and Zelda with a joyful grin. "Here we go!" He cried, leaping into the air and twisting before splashing into the water. Tottika followed the same, but with less grandeur. The two Zora soon surfaced, and Sidon called out from the water.

"Gaze now upon the Divine Beast's back! Do you see those glowing, pink orbs? You, Link, will need to shoot each of them with a shock arrow! With your Zora armour, you now have the ability to ascend waterfalls, so I shall take you right up to the side of the Divine Beast, and from there you can swim up and take aim! I know you can do it, I believe in you!" Sidon then swam up close to the dock, Tottika following close behind. "Now then get on my back! Zelda, you may do the same with Tottika. Divine Beast Vah Ruta will surely react to our presence, and so it will undoubtedly use its ancient and mysterious powers against us… when that happens, Zelda and Tottika will draw its fire while Link and I get close enough to attack!

Link glanced at Zelda for a moment, who was already moving to climb onto Tottika. Link felt his face flush with embarrassment for a moment before he shook it off before getting onto Prince Sidon's back. Sidon smiled brightly once both pairs were ready. "Let's be off!" He cried out, instantly shooting forward in the water, Link losing his balance for a moment before he leaned forward and grasped onto the Zora's shoulders.

Riding on Sidon wasn't like anything Link expected it to be. The Zora Prince was just as fast as Caviar sprinting on land, speeding through the water almost effortless. Tottika was just the same, keeping speed with Sidon with ease. "Hah! I am unstoppable in the water!" Sidon shouted confidently, and Link couldn't help but agree.

As they approached Divine Beast Vah Ruta, the great machine cried out and shook, churning the water violently around it. In response, Sidon turned away from the great machine while Tottika and Zelda continued forward.

Vah Ruta cried out once more when suddenly three large cubes of ice appeared seemingly out of nowhere on the side of the Divine Beast. One of the cubes of ice broke away from the other two, slowly spinning towards Tottika and Zelda, a trail of blue light following close behind it.

Tottika instantly turned away and began to swim quickly, leading the cube away from Sidon and Link, but the cube was slowly gaining on them. Right before the cube could hit them, however, Tottika leapt out of the water in a sharp turn, Zelda yelping from surprise. The large cube tried to turn to follow them, but it smashed into the water, promptly shattering to pieces. Instantly the second cube if the three broke away and began to chase them just as the previous one had before.

"Looks like they've got that covered!" Sidon exclaimed and leapt forward, speeding towards the Divine Beast. Link hunched down close to the Zora Prince, watching Tottika trick the second cube into crashing into the water out of the corner of his eye.

Sidon was almost to the nearest waterfall when the third cube broke away, but instead of hurtling itself towards Tottika and Zelda, it instead came spinning towards Sidon and Link.

"Woah!" Sidon instantly spun around and sped away, but the cube was close on their tail. Link quickly situated himself so that he was backwards on Sidon but facing the cube, and with great struggle, he strung his bow and shot the cube, shattering it mid-air. "Nice one!" Sidon instantly praised.

The Zora Prince then stopped abruptly once Link resituated himself and turned sharply, once again heading towards the Divine Beast now that all of the ice cubes had been destroyed.

Vah Ruta let out a loud elephant cry, its trunk lashing out just as Sidon came close to one of the waterfalls, bucking Link up and into the water. Link instantly began to swim up the narrow waterfall, his heart thumping with exhilaration as he burst out of the top.

Just as his upward motion began to slow, Link pulled out his bow and strung a shock arrow, taking a breath before releasing the projectile just as he fell back down into the water.

The Divine Beast soon cried out once more, a great flash coming from one of the pink orbs. Link resurfaced and climbed back up onto Sidon, just as the waterfall Link had just climbed up disappeared. "You've done it, Link!" Sidon proclaimed happily as he swam away back to safety, more cubes of ice spawning on Vah Ruta's side. "Now just three more to go!"

With anticipation, Link and Sidon watched Tottika and Zelda lead the ice cubes away, but once two were left, they both broke away at the same time, coming at the Princess and Zora from opposite sides.

"Tottika won't be able to dodge both of those!" Link shouted. Sidon instantly launched forward, coming to Tottika's aid.

However, Zelda raised the Sheikah Slate and pointed it towards one of the cubes, shattering it completely in a burst of blue light. She spun around to the other and did the same with the second, cheering once she realized that they were no longer in danger.

Sidon swam right up to Tottika, both his and Link's jaws dropped low in surprise. "That was incredible!" Sidon praised.

"How did you do that?" Link asked Zelda.

She placed the Sheikah Slate back onto her hip as she replied. "Well, Impa told us that the Cryonis rune can create pillars of ice, so I figured… could it destroy ice too? I mean, we were kind of in a desperate situation. I didn't have much time to think." She explained.

"This won't be a challenge any longer." Tottika stated bluntly. "You two attack the Beast and Zelda will disable the blocks of ice."

A wide grin grew on Sidon's face. "Of course!" And with that, the Zora Prince turned and sped towards the Divine Beast. However this time, Tottika and Zelda were following close behind, with the Sheikah Slate clutched in one of Zelda's hands.

Vah Ruta rumbled and cried out, creating double the amount of ice as before. Without hesitation, Zelda quickly held up the Slate towards the cubes, destroying each and every one. Sidon then led Link to the next waterfall, who climbed it and promptly shot the second pink orb.

The third orb was deactivated easily, only leaving the fourth and final orb. After this, Link and Zelda would be able to enter into the Divine Beast and appease it from the inside. However, not everything always goes to plan.

Vah Ruta had just summoned more ice cubes, with five of them being rounded with spikes. Zelda and Tottika promptly sped towards the projectiles and when Zelda began to destroy them, three of the spike balls broke off, and while Zelda destroyed two, the third swung around and smacked into them from behind, launching Zelda into the air and knocking Tottika unconscious.

"Tottika Zelda no!" Sidon shouted, his voice piercing through the numb feeling that had gone over Link's ears. The feeling was familiar. It was fear.

Instantly, Sidon sped towards Tottika's unconscious form that floated in the water, with Zelda swimming towards them to meet them. She was breathing heavily and coughing, some of the water having gotten caught in her throat from her sudden dunk into the reservoir.

Once Sidon stopped by Tottika, Link got off so that Sidon could carry Tottika to shore. "Zelda, are you okay?" Link asked frantically, just as Sidon left with Tottika.

Zelda nodded, coughing once more before replying. "Yes, yes I'm fine." Her voice clogged up on the last word and she coughed again, the force of the action sending her underwater, with Link hurriedly pulling her back up.

"Link! Zelda! Watch out!" Sidon suddenly shouted, making Link and Zelda spin frantically towards the Divine Beast.

While Sidon had swam away, leaving Link and Zelda to tread in the cold water, Vah Ruta had created five more spike balls, with three of them already skimming across the surface towards them.

Frantically, Zelda pulled out her Sheikah Slate, struggling to stay above water. Sidon was racing back towards them, with Tottika lying on the dock, but he wouldn't make it to them in time.

Zelda quickly destroyed one of the ice balls, but the other two were only a couple of feet away. Heart pounding, Link watched as Zelda destroyed the second, but she was too late for the third.

However, before Link could even begin to think about how much the ice ball would hurt slamming into them, he suddenly felt someone wrap their arms around his waist and pull him under the water, the cold water enveloping his head just as the ice ball smashed into the surface.

Looking over his shoulder, Link saw Zelda desperately clinging onto him, her eyes squeezed shut and her cheeks bulging from trapped air. Link waited for her to let go to allow them to swim back up, but soon his lungs began to burn for air as he hadn't had time to take a breath before going under.

Trying to restrain his bodily panic, Link pried Zelda's arms off of him, and with a kick of his legs, brought their heads back to breathable air. Both he and Zelda gasped for air as they wildly looked around for any danger, before realizing that nothing seemed to threaten them. Sidon had just swam up to them, his eyes wide from panic.

"You're okay!" He exclaimed, smiling wide as Zelda wiped the water from her eyes before opening them. "Zelda, what you did was extremely wise and admirable!"

Zelda smiled, her lips slightly purple from the cold of the water. "Thanks, Sidon." She said sincerely. "But you need to take Link to the final waterfall so that he can finish Vah Ruta off. I'll swim back to the dock, don't worry about me."

Sidon nodded, and before Link could get his say into the matter, Sidon swam underneath him and lifted up, forcing him onto his back before speeding away. They had to get to the waterfall before Vah Ruta could create any more ice from it's ancient power. Link looked over his shoulder to see Zelda beginning to swim back to the dock. Tottika however didn't appear to be moving. Worrying gnawing on his stomach, Link turned back to find the waterfall a second away.

"It's all you!" Sidon said loudly, launching Link into the waterfall.

It was over in the blink of an eye. Link burst out of the water and shot the pink orb, the giant Divine Beast crying out in response as he landed back into the reservoir.

Quickly, Link climbed onto Sidon and they sped away towards the dock as the Divine Beast rumbled with anger and pain, it's giant trunk falling with a gigantic splash, the water that was spewing from it completely stopping. Soon, the storm clouds high in the sky slowly dispersed, clearing away the rain and allowing the noon day sun to shine through, illuminating the reservoir and the Divine Beast in a glorious light.

Now on the dock, Sidon knelt by Tottika just as the Zora was beginning to stir, pointing at Vah Ruta. "Look! The water spouting from Ruta has slowed down!" Suddenly, with a great shake, the Divine Beast began to rise, a latch on the side opening to reveal a way in. "Ruta is floating higher now! You two wanted to venture inside it, right?"

Tottika then mumbled something incoherent and his eyes sluggishly opened, his eyes unfocused. "Looks like Tottika won't be swimming for a while. I'll bring both of you closer."

"Thank you, Sidon." Zelda said again, smiling weakly as Sidon got back into the water. Zelda climbed on first, and Link got on second. Sidon struggled for a moment to stay above water, but he managed to swim forward towards the now opened Divine Beast.

As they approached the opening, the water eerily calm, Sidon got more comfortable with the extra load. "Well, this is where the real work starts. Best of luck." He said in a low tone voice, glancing over his shoulder for just a moment. Link and Zelda stayed quiet, adding to the thick silence that surrounded them, a sharp contrast from the roaring waterfalls and pounding rain that had hammered at them just moments before.

The trip didn't take long, and Sidon moved to the side, allowing Link and Zelda to climb onto the rounded dock that had fallen from the side of Vah Ruta. The two Hylians turned to face the Zora Prince, who raised his fist in his familiar gesture, however this time, no cheeky smile accompanied it.

"Show the enemy no fear. I'll see you two back at Zora's Domain. Farewell." The Zora said softly, which seemed off character for the flamboyant Prince.

With a loud rumble, the dock suddenly began to rise. Causing Link and Zelda to stumble for a moment. Sidon, still facing them, swam slowly away to avoid any dangers, looking up at them with a solemn yet hopeful expression.

The Divine Beast soon stopped its ascent, now towering at it's full height above the reservoir. Zelda crept to the edge of the dock and looked over, her mouth slightly open from awe as she turned to Link.

Both of them shared a silent nod of agreement before turning towards the opening of the hollow Divine Beast. I cold breeze wafted towards them, even though inside Ruta was sheltered. Link shuddered as the two Hylians both stepped forward. The Zora Prince had indeed been correct.

This is where the real work starts. And what a job it'll be.

**You did it! :D Thank you so much for reading this new chapter of Hyrule's Light! As you could probably tell, I took a few creative liberties with Tottika, as in the game he's just your average NPC, but I wanted to poke a little fun at the difference between him and Sidon.**

**It was also really fun to write his monotone character believe it or not XD**


	10. The Cleansing of Vah Ruta

**Finally, after ages of not writing and feeling guilty and blegh because of not writing, I've got chapter 10 done and published! Hopefully y'all enjoy! (Sorry for the long wait I really didn't forget I promise you that!)**

The Divine Beast Vah Ruta. A great behemoth that portrays just how far the ancient Sheikah had come with their mystical technology before the world was left to ruin. Now, the rot of time has seeped into the beast itself, leaving a vacant stale breeze to waft through the echoing rooms.

That's all Link could feel as he and Zelda entered into their first real challenge. At least, that's what it felt like. If cleansing this beast proved to be harder than fighting the Lynel or even that giant during their little "shortcut", then Link already felt hopeless.

But just as they began through the large entrance, a soft voice suddenly began to speak to them, making Link's heart jump and then sink into nauseating grief.

"You're here." It whispered.

It was Mipha.

"I must say…" she continued, "that I am so happy to see that this day has finally arrived."

Link suddenly felt cold and numb, as he realized that Mipha had been suffering in this tomb for 100 years while he and Zelda slept peacefully.

"Now Ruta can be freed of Ganon's control."

_But what about you, Mipha? _Link thought even as the Zora Princess continued to speak.

"Ruta has five terminals that, by cleansing them, will take her back from Ganon. Please… seek them out, and reactivate them. I believe in you, but… be careful." With a soft echo, Mipha's voice faded, the hopeless wind returning with seemingly renewed vigor.

Zelda was the first to break the silence. "She's… here." She said quietly, looking upwards with reverent awe, tainted with a bit of sadness. "She really is here, in spirit…"

"We need to free her." Link stated, determined. He was not going to let Mipha suffer anymore. "Just like she said, we need to find these terminals and reactivate them."

Zelda looked at Link, recollected herself, and nodded in agreement, her mouth set in a firm line. She looked around the large room of the Divine Beast, smiling when her eyes found something. "There's one there!" She exclaimed, rushing towards a strange structure that reminded Link of the one that was in Purah's ancient lab, which had given them the runes on the Sheikah Slate. However, this one was not hanging from the ceiling. Instead, it was pointing upwards like a spire, with one of those structures that had opened up the Shrine of Resurrection.

On instinct, Zelda trotted up to the terminal and grabbed the Sheikah Slate, promptly placing it onto the structure, that blinked a brilliant blue that lifted up to the spire, illuminating the entire terminal. A small robotic voice emanated from the spire, saying, "Sheikah Slate authenticated."

Zelda smiled in triumph and placed the Sheikah Slate back onto her hip, jumping in surprise when Mipha's voice spoke to them once more.

"You did it! There are four terminals remaining. Don't give up!" She cried, quickly disappearing once more.

Turning to Link, Zelda smiled sadly at the reminder that Mipha was still suffering, even if they were here. "That wasn't too bad." She said, laughing nervously.

Link smiled in return. "Hopefully these other four will be the same."

They turned in sync, walking away from the terminal when a strange click clack sound emanated from their left. The spun towards the sound, Link instantly pulling out his sword when a little robotic spider-looking teacher entered from an opening on the opposite side of the room. It was glowing an ominous pink color, just like Vah Ruta, and it looked vaguely like the dead, rusted guardian that they had seen at the Proxim Bridge, except this one was very much alive.

Once it's single hypnotic eye spotted them, it's top half raised up, relieving a little sharp arm with a glowing blue sword with tendrils of light spiraling off of it. It instantly began to crawl towards them at an alarming speed, causing Link to jump in front of Zelda and slash at the robot, cutting off it's arm. Then, with a single swift motion, he stabbed his golden sword straight into the eye of the mini guardian, causing it to blink a few times like it was gasping for breath, before it collapsed in defeat, the pink light fading into nothing.

Link allowed himself a small smile of victory before he put his sword away, Zelda instantly pushing past to take a look at the now dead guardian. "Wow…" She sighed in amazement, lifting up one of its limp legs. "Do you think we'll see more of these?" She asked, before jumping back in surprise as the guardian suddenly exploded into bits.

"Well, we won't be seeing more of that one that's for sure." Link stated bluntly, receiving a laugh from Zelda.

The next terminal was easy enough to find, with another one of those mini guardians standing in front of it, in which Zelda froze with the stasis rune and Link promptly destroyed with another stab into its eye. After reactivating the terminal, Mipha spoke to them once more, encouraging them to find the next three.

They searched around the Divine Beast, entering into the largest room they had seen. It had two giant gears slowly turning with the push of a mini waterfall to their right. In the center of the bigger of the two gears was one of the terminals, calling out to them like it was some sacred treasure.

Link and Zelda approached the giant gear in awe, with Zelda more amazed then Link. The structure was impressive, but Link didn't think it was as beautiful as a peaceful sunrise, or the elegant view that had greeted them once they first stepped out of the Shrine of Resurrection. However, especially in his memories, Zelda appeared to have a firm love in the mechanics and technology of the Sheikah.

"How are we supposed to get to the terminal if it's spinning?" Link asked Zelda, who he assumed had the answer.

Zelda didn't answer. Instead, she looked over the two gears with a thoughtful expression, taking the Sheikah Slate from her hip and turning it over in her hands as she pondered the situation. Her head turned towards the small waterfall that was pushing the two gears, and she smiled as if a drape had been torn from a window, letting golden light flood in.

She hurried over to the waterfall, selecting the Cyonis rune and pointing towards the waterfall, when, in a flash of blue light, an ice pillar grew from the waterfall, blocking the water flow. As if on command, the two gears slowed to a stop, with one problem. The giant gear that held the terminal had stopped with the structure upside down. They wouldn't be able to reach the terminal and activate it.

"You've got the right idea." Link said with a smirk.

Zelda smirked back. "At least I had an idea."

And with that, she promptly broke the ice pillar and waited for the gears to turn, until she hurriedly created another pillar just as the terminal was on the bottom. With the smirk still clear on her face, Zelda ran over to the terminal and quickly activated it, turning to Link with a victorious smile.

"Only two terminals remaining! I have faith in you!" Mipha exclaimed, her voice sounding happier then when they had first entered into the Divine Beast. Link smiled at the sound of it, his mind flooding with more memories of him and the Zora Princess. He turned to Zelda, who quickly looked away. Even though she acted like she hadn't, Link knew that she was watching his reaction to hearing Mipha.

The next terminal after that was easy enough, with another simple puzzle that Zelda had solved without hesitation. Link felt slightly useless in the Divine Beast, as the only enemies were those little robots and piles of a dark toxic substance that had giant orange eyeballs that when cut down, eliminated that specific pool. Despite that, he felt a great evil looming around them, so he kept his sword out at all times.

Now, they only had one terminal left. They had looked everywhere in the giant Beast, but they couldn't find it anywhere, often walking in circles. Link was beginning to get frustrated. "Where in the Goddess Hylia could that terminal be? It's not that small!" He said loudly, scowling at the giant gear where the other terminal had been, which was now spinning once more, as Zelda had destroyed the ice block that had stemmed the water flow.

Zelda sighed and placed her hands on her hips. "You're right, they are quite sizable." She agreed. "Maybe it's on the outside?"

Link shrugged. "You're the one with the brain."

And with that, they walked in through one of the openings, Zelda shivering slightly from the crisp breeze. Link looked up at the sky, surprised to find the sun had already descended behind the mountain, marking late afternoon.

The two Hylians silently looked around the exterior of the Divine Beast, finding nothing. Zelda looked over at Link with a frustrated look, but she smiled slightly. "It's not out here." She said.

"Really?" Link replied sarcastically. In response, Zelda rolled her eyes with the smile still on her face and turned on her heel, walking back inside Vah Ruta. Link followed her, sheathing his sword.

As they wandered through the giant behemoth of Sheikah technology, they came towards the head, swimming up a short waterfall so that they were a level higher. They had already been over here, but Zelda suddenly stuck out her arm and stopped Link from walking away.

"Hey, we haven't been through there yet." She said with a hint of excitement, pointing to an opening that was just straight ahead.

"That's because out there is the trunk." Link stated.

Zelda smiled. "Exactly."

Link realized with a start exactly what she was inclining. "You think there's a terminal out there?"

"Only one way to find out."

They both nodded and walked through the opening, carefully jumping down onto the trunk with each others help. The trunk was curved slowly upwards, with water pouring very slowly from the spout. Luckily, the trunk itself was very wide, with plenty of room for both Link and Zelda. It also had a bunch of indents where the trunk could bed, making it easy to keep a good grip.

Both of them determined, Link and Zelda started forward, cautiously walking along the trunk. As it slowly began to incline, Zelda went in front of Link so that they were going along single file to let them have more room in case one of them slipped.

The trunk continued to gradually get steeper and steeper, making it harder to keep a good grip. Link found himself slipping just a few inches multiple times, and he noticed Zelda was struggling as well. Soon the trunk was directly vertical, with the top just a few feet away. Zelda was trying to reach up to the ridge, but her fingers were only barely brushing the edge. She glanced down at Link, who gave her an encouraging nod.

Steeling herself, Zelda bent her knees just slightly, before jumping up and grabbing onto the ridge above, her feet frantically scraping at the vertical trunk to scramble up and onto the ledge. Link quickly got up underneath Zelda and grabbed at her ankles, helping her up. She then scrambled up onto the ledge, when Link heard her cry out in joy.

"It's up here! The terminal!"

Link smiled. "Hurry and activate it then!" He replied.

There was silence for a moment before Mipha's voice cut through, congratulating them and telling them that the last thing they needed to do was activate the main control unit. After Mipha's voice faded out, Link called out to Zelda.

"You can come down now! I'll help you!"

Zelda's head appeared over the edge. "Don't let me fall." She said with a smile, turning and slowly lowering herself from the ledge. Link set his feet firm on the trunk and reached up, gently grabbing Zelda's waist and guiding her down onto the trunk as well.

However, as Zelda's second foot touched onto the trunk, it slipped, the rest of her body immediately following. In the blink of an eye, Link reached out with his right hand, catching her as she slid down the side of the trunk, with the rest of her body dangling over the East Reservoir far below.

Zelda looked down beneath her and back up at Link, her eyes wide with panic. "Pull me back up!" She said frantically, her voice losing its authority due to fear.

Link crouched down and grabbed her arm with both of his hands, pulling upwards with all of his strength. His stitched up arm suddenly seared with pain, causing Link to cry out and let go with one arm, causing him to stumble forward. Heart leaping into his throat, Link scurried backwards, struggling to keep his balance as he pulled Zelda's upper half onto the trunk. She instantly grabbed onto the dips and bumps of the giant trunk, pulling herself up as Link continued to help her, now standing onto the side to give her more room.

Soon they were both safe once more, with both of them pale-faced and panting. "Heh.. watch your step." Link joked weakly, giving Zelda a wobbly smile.

Zelda returned the gesture with a sharp glare that quickly dissolved as she laughed. "Thanks for catching me." She said honestly.

With a large grin, Link nodded. "What are knights for?" He shrugged as if it was nothing before his expression turned more serious with a hint of excitement. "Now let's get to that control unit."

Zelda gave Link a firm nod and they were off, helping each other carefully across the trunk before they back into the Divine Beast. As soon as they were on firm ground, they both broke into a run towards the large room that contained the main control unit that Mipha had directed them to. They burst through the opening, gazing upon the large unit with wide eyes.

The structure was towards the end of the large circular room, with a hard floor covered with a thin layer of water. The unit itself was bigger than the terminals, and it was pulsing a startling orange like a dying heart. The two Hylians slowly approached the structure, with Zelda pulling out her Sheikah Slate while Link readied his sword.

Zelda cautiously raised her arm towards the unit that was only a few feet away, placing the Sheikah Slate on one of the structures that was just like the ones on the terminals. However, just as the Slate tapped onto the surface, a sudden eruption of black and pink smoke exploded from the unit, causing Zelda to stumble backwards the the entire control unit was engulfed with the swirling malice.

Link instantly leapt in front of Zelda, holding out his sword towards the smoke when strings of blue light drifted from it, floating right past them. They both turned, watching with open mouths as the strands of blue light gathered into a strange pulsing blue ball before slowly forming a strange figure. An arm came from the figure, the light fading to reveal a skeletal-like arm with a giant glowing blue spear as a hand. Next, the other arm formed, claw-tipped fingers curling like a spider's legs, and finally the rest of the grotesque monster. It had a single pulsing blue eye, centered on some strange looking Sheikah Tech shaped like a hammerhead shark. It had no legs, with an insect like body that levitated off of the ground.

The horrifying monster let out a blood curdling screech, rearing back its nasty head as fiery red hair fell from its skull. It was a terrible beast made from scraps of Sheikah Tech and swirling festering malice.

Mipha's voice suddenly entered the room as the beast curved it's back, twitching uncontrollably as it's single blue eye stayed locked on Link and Zelda. "Please take care…" The Zora Princess' voice said, even as the monster began to growl, "That… thing is one of Ganon's creations. I put up as much of a fight as I could, but it proved to be my demise 100 years ago… Regardless… I believe that you are well prepared for this moment. I have faith in you!"

The monster swept it's giant speer across the room, it's growling growing in volume as it crouched down in preparation to fight. Link bent his knees, staring at the monster with a fierce gaze of determination. He glanced at Zelda for just a moment, who had a startling fire that sent a shock through him, a vague memory of her yelling at him with that same anger in her gaze hovering in the back of his head. He forced the feeling away as Zelda looked at him, smiling and giving him a thumbs up as her other hand gripped the Sheikah Slate. Link smiled back and turned towards the monster once more, who continued to twitch while it's head stayed in the same place. The time to avenge Mipha was now.

Immediately the monster shrieked and moved his arm back, the spear pointed straight for Link and Zelda. Instantly, Link and Zelda split, running opposite ways right as the monster lunged forward, his spear striking forward right where Link and Zelda had been moments before. The force of the strike sent water spraying in all directions, immediately soaking both of the Hylians.

Just as Link wiped the water from his eyes, the monster was already starting to swing his spear in a wide arc above the water. Link quickly jumped backwards, the tip of the weapon just barely missing his chest. Zelda did the same, immediately looking at Link to see if he was okay. Giving Zelda a thumbs up, Link then charged towards the monster, sword held out. He got underneath the hideous thing, swiping his sword against its lower body. Shrieking in outrage, the monster spun, swinging his spear around maniacally. Link stayed underneath the monster in its blind spot, ducking low to dodge the long spear.

Soon the monster stopped spinning, and suddenly froze in a burst of golden light, the golden chains of the stasis rune flashing in the air. Link glanced at Zelda to see her pointing the Sheikah Slate at the monster, her confident smile fading as the frozen figure started to blink, gaining speed until it broke free, letting out a shrill shriek that caused Link and Zelda to cover their ears.

The monster finally stopped to shriek, and as Link looked up, the monster was rising, situating his spear in a way that was preparing to stab directly downward right where Link was currently standing. Link's eyes widened and he began to scramble away, turning and sprinting as the monster stabbed his spear into the ground. A huge shockwave erupted from the impact, hitting Link in the back and sending him flying. Zelda screamed his name and began to run towards him, where he was slowly getting onto his hands and knees.

"Are you okay?" Zelda asked hurriedly.

Link gritted his teeth in frustration and pain as he stood, shaking his head as if to reset himself. "Yeah, yeah I'm good." He replied quietly, his words becoming enveloped with his hard breathing.

Zelda then looked up at the monster and gasped, slamming hard into Link and shoving both of them to the ground just as the giant blue spear flew directly over their heads, planting itself into the wall of the room.

Link groaned as Zelda climbed off of them. "Am I good to get up now?" He joked. Zelda grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the spear in response, giving him a scornful look.

"This isn't the time for jokes." She said curtly.

The spear, now behind them, suddenly vanished in blue sparks before reappearing in the monsters grasp, the single eye burning with unbridled anger. Link glared directly at the thing, turning to Zelda. "It's time we end this." He stated.

"I'll freeze him again, but it'll only last for a few seconds." She said, both of them quickly sprinting to the side as the spear landed by them again, bursting into sparks once more.

They stopped running as Link replied. "Alright." He agreed, bending his knees to prepare himself to run and attack. Zelda then raised her Sheikah Slate to the monster and froze him, the familiar chains flashing in air. Immediately the now frozen monster began to blink, and Link sprinted towards it. Right as the monster broke free, Link slashed at it again and again, causing liquid like malice to seep from its wounds. The monster shrieked in agonizing pain, suddenly turning blue and turning into the same orb from before.

"Now what?" Zelda asked, exasperated, as the orb hovered for a moment before flying above the main control unit, the monsters disfigured body reforming and flipping over so that it was in a crawl-like position above the unit. It growled menacingly, its free hand beginning to glow a light blue. It raised its arm in triumphance, a horrifying glint in its eye.

Suddenly, the water began to rise, with four platforms rising as well. Link and Zelda immediately raced to one of the platforms, the water quickly lifting them off of the ground, causing them to swim as the monster's growling grew louder and louder.

Just as Link and Zelda climbed onto one of the platforms, the monster transformed into the orb and flew across the room, appearing over the platform across from the one Link and Zelda were standing on. It's free hand immediately started to glow blue once more, and it raised it again, a block of ice identical to Vah Ruta's now hovering in front of it. It pushed the block forward, and the ice slowly began to spiral towards Link and Zelda. Zelda instantly jumped in front of Link and held the Sheikah Slate up to the ice, shattering it with ease.

With the monster taken aback from the ease that Zelda had dismantled its attack, Link took the opportunity and strung his bow with a shock arrow, releasing the projectile directly into the creature's eye. Shrieking in pain, the monster collapsed onto the platform. Instantly Link jumped off of the platform, swimming to the other platform with a powerful kick. Once he was back on his feet, Link then took out his sword and sliced at the monster over and over again.

Finally the creature turned into the orb and flew diagonal across the room. It reformed and created three ice blocks, in which Zelda promptly destroyed. Link then shot the monster in the eye once more, diving into the water as it once again collapsed onto the platform.

As Link climbed onto the platform, however, the monster had already recovered from the shock of the arrow. It cried out in anger and raised its spear, lunging it downwards directly at Link.

"Link!" Zelda shouted, freezing the monster with her stasis rune inches before the spear had reached Link. Scrambling away, Link dove into the water and began to swim away, just as the spear suddenly flew by him into the water, slicing a deep slash into his leg. The pain was immediate, but nothing worse than he had ever felt before. Swimming frantically, Link climbed onto the platform he had been moments before, glancing at his wound. It was bleeding terribly, but only because it was a surface wound, thankfully.

Link looked back up at the monster which had just reappeared over Zelda, raising its spear just as it had done with Link. "Zelda look out!" Link cried, stringing his bow and letting loose an arrow. He missed the monster's eye, however, and the arrow seemed to hardly do anything. The monster than let out a shriek and stabbed its spear downward, just as Zelda dove into the water.

She quickly resurfaced halfway between the two platforms, gasping and swimming with renewed vigor as the monster readied to throw its spear once again. "Oh no you don't." Link growled, stringing his bow once more and leasing an arrow, this time piercing the monsters eye almost perfectly. Zelda then resurfaced right by the platform's edge, and Link quickly helped her up as the monster shook off its pain.

"We're sitting Cuccos like this." Zelda said between deep gasping breaths.

"I know, but I don't know how much this monster can take anymore." Link replied confidently. "If we just keep attacking-"  
"No that's not going to work!" Zelda interrupted. She looked over her shoulder at the disgusting creature, a peculiar look in her eyes. "I have to do what Impa said. I have to use my sealing power."

Link stared at Zelda before hurriedly shooting the monster in the eye once more as it had begun to recover. "But you haven't used it in 100 years!"

Zelda winced as if Link's words had physically hurt her. "I know, but… what other way can we cleanse Ruta?"

"Well… alright. I'm with you either way." Link said hesitantly at first. He smiled. "I'll hold the monster off while you work on summoning your magic."

Zelda smiled in return and nodded. Link then looked up at the monster, who had just turned into the orb again. Link readied himself to drag Zelda with him into the water if the monster came to their platform, but instead it went to the one directly across from them. Link strung another shock arrow as the creature reformed. It instantly created five ice blocks, in which Zelda shattered them with her Sheikah Slate.

Link pulled back his bow and shot an arrow, however before it even touched the beast it slid to the side, dodging the projectile. "Huh. That's new." Link mumbled to himself. He strung another arrow and shot it, but the monster dodged it once again. Becoming frustrated, Link shot two rapidly right after each other, with one scraping the monsters shoulder. Unfazed, the creature summoned five more ice blocks. Link glanced at Zelda, who was raising her Sheikah Slate. Without hesitation, Link dove into the water as Zelda destroyed the ice blocks. If the monster now knew how and when to dodge his arrows, then Link would try something else.

He surfaced and climbed onto the platform underneath the monster, who instantly began to ready his spear. Quickly, Link strung and arrow and shot it directly upwards into the monsters eye, jumping back a little ways as the monster fell down onto the platform. Link then attacked the monster with aggression, hoping to finish it off. After a series of blows, Link took a few steps back and ran at the monster, stepping onto part of its body to leap into the air, intending to stab the thing in its startling blue eye.

Just as Link began to fall down towards his finishing blow, the monster suddenly spun, hitting Link in the chest with the flat end of its spear, knocking him far into the water, his head smacking against the platform diagonal from the one the creature hovered over.

Blinding pain erupted in Link's skull and chest as he fell into the water, and he struggled to stay conscious as he sunk towards the bottom in a daze. He felt the precious air leave his lungs, leaving them starving for release. His mind was slipping into the dark, and he was about to accept it when he felt arms wrap around him and pull him upwards. It was Zelda. She pulled him out of the water and onto the platform, and Link instantly went into a paroxysm of coughing, spitting out the water from his lungs.

Zelda was about to open her mouth, most likely to ask if he was okay, when the monster shrieked and prepared to throw its spear once more. With a sudden intense fiery look in her eyes, Zelda promptly stood and raised her right hand just as the monster threw its spear.

It never reached its target. Just as the spear was an inch away, it stopped as an explosion of golden light erupted from Zelda's held out palm, the familiar shape of the triforce glowing on the back of her hand as the light blew through the spear and engulfed the beast. It screamed horribly, its body turning to ashes from the force of the light. Link squinted his eyes from the brilliant sight, his vision threatening to go out entirely. However, the golden light was gone just as fast as it had come, leaving the room appearing to be darker than it was before. The water was also gone, the platforms having been lowered back to their original state. Now all that was left was the main control unit blinking a weak orange color.

Zelda stared at her hand as she slowly lowered it, the triforce fading without a sound. "It's back…" she murmured to herself before whirling around and kneeling down next to Link. "Link! Link are you okay?"

Link gaped in return. He slowly got up from the ground, leaning back on his elbows, his head spinning. "That… that was… incredible." He stated, his voice giving out on the last word. "Zelda, you did it! You cleansed Ruta!" He gave her a wide smile, laughing with relief.

Zelda smiled brightly in return. "It wasn't just me." She pointed out, helping Link stand and steadying him as he swayed. "Now let's activate the control unit and finish this for good."

As they walked towards the unit, with Zelda still supporting Link, he shook his head and chuckled. "Zelda I'm not joking." He said seriously. "If I had known you held that much power in you before, I would've been afraid to ride on the same horse as you."

Zelda's smile grew and she laughed. "You give me too much credit."

Link rolled his eyes, deciding to give it up. Secretly, however, he knew that Zelda was beaming with pride. He could see it in her eyes.

They both reached the main control unit, and Zelda let go of Link to activate with the Sheikah Slate. Link watched as she placed the Slate on the structure, the entire unit flashing a cool blue before returning to its slow blinking, with the color staying as that same blue.

"One down, three to go." Link joked, even though it was entirely true. Zelda sighed and nodded, turning around to face him again.

"Hello Princess, Link." A soft voice suddenly spoke, causing Link and Zelda to spin towards its source. They both gasped in unison.

It was Mipha. The Zora Princess. She regarded them with a somber yet grateful gaze, soft green flames circling her as they had done to King Rhoam. "Because of your courage and wisdom, my spirit is now free, and Ruta as well. Thank you… for I am now allowed by this freedom… to be with you once again." She said calmly, looking directly at Link. Zelda glanced at Link before looking back at her, her eyes falling to the ground with something that looked like guilt.

Link didn't know what to say. This was Mipha, standing just on the other side of the room. "Mipha… I…" He began, his voice trailing away helplessly.

Mipha regarded Link with hopeful eyes, but when Link didn't say anything else, the hope fell and she stepped forward. "Since I am now a spirit, I cannot stay with you for long. I wish I could do more, but with my healing grace, I can at least heal your wounds wrought by Ganon's puppet." She then held her hands over her heart, inhaling deeply before exhaling, pointing her palms towards Link and Zelda. A low glowing light circled around Link and Zelda, emanating from Mipha. It lifted them off of the ground very slightly, circling around the main areas of pain.

Link immediately felt better, and as the light fade and they landed on the ground once more, Link found that his head no longer spun and the wound on his leg was completely gone. He gasped softly and quickly undid the bandage around his forearm, finding the stitches and any trace of the gash gone. Link's head snapped back up at Mipha, his heart aching. There was nothing more he could do for her, and yet, even in death, she was still willing to heal his wounds. He was at a loss for words.

"Yesterday, I was awash in a pool of tears." Mipha began again, "I had nearly given up hope and resigned myself to being trapped here, as a spirit, for the rest of eternity. But now you're here. All this time, my hope… was to see you once more. And even though I am gone, I promise you that I will watch over your journey, and I will assist you when needed. I…" She paused, clasping her hands in front of her and looking at the ground. "I must go." She stated, just green light began to emanate from Link and Zelda. "Ruta and I have our roles to fulfill. We are both honored to be able to play the role of support. We'll annihilate Ganon together." She said with a small smile, bringing her hands over her heart once more.

"Farewell." She nodded her head as the light around the two Hylians began to grow in strength.

"W-wait!" Link cried out, reaching his hand out towards Mipha just as the light blinded him, seconds later fading into nothing. Link slowly opened his eyes, startled to find himself staring up at Mipha's statue in Zora's Domain. Zelda was standing directly next to him, and she placed a hand on his shoulder, turning him to face her. There were no words spoken as they looked into each other's eyes when she pulled him into a firm hug. Link gladly wrapped his arms around her, letting the tears that had gathered fall down his cheeks without restraint.

**I got really emotional writing the end of this chapter, haha. I may not ship Link and Mipha, but I still love her and her story is utterly heartbreaking! Anyhoo, I'll start working on the next chapter, but I'm not going to make any promises on when it'll be done. School is tough, as I'm sure many of you know!**


	11. Onward

Finally when Link and Zelda separated from their embrace, Link hastily wiped the tears from his face and looked up at Mipha's statue. The morning sun had just begun to rise over the tall mountains surrounding the Domain, casting the statue in a dim milky light.

Zelda watched him for a moment before their eyes connected once more. "You… really care for Mipha… don't you."

Link sighed heavily. "I guess I do." He said weakly, clearing his throat when his voice gave out. "I finally remember everything we did together and how many times she healed me… In most cases I would be happy, but…" He let out a sarcastic snort. "In this case it only hurts."

"You know… I might not have had a connection to Mipha like you, but-"

The loud familiar cry of Vah Ruta cut into Zelda's sentence, causing both of them to whirl around to face a flat-topped mountain. The great Divine Beast suddenly rose mightily from behind it, its trunk swinging upwards with a triumphant war cry. It landed heavily onto the mountain, situating itself firmly before shooting a sudden red laser directly at Hyrule Castle days away.

With wide hopeful eyes, Link searched the Divine Beast for any sign of Mipha, and he gasped when a dim figure appeared on top of the elephant. He smiled as he watched the figure stand still for a moment before slowly fading away into blinking green dots, which Link guessed were the flames that encircled the spirits.

"Ruta is attacking Ganon!" Zelda exclaimed in realization, turning to Link with an excited expression. "Do you think it's draining its power? Maybe it's weakening it!"

"I'm sure Mipha is doing everything in her power to buy us time." Link replied with a more reverent tone. "She did promise she was going to do everything she could to assist us."

Zelda nodded. "Well looks like she's certainly keeping her promise."

"Link! Zelda!" Sidon suddenly called out to them, looking down from above the balcony that circled around Mipha's statue. "You did it! You appeased the Divine Beast! We must tell my father the great news!"

Before they knew it, Link and Zelda were standing before King Dorephan, who chuckled deeply once they had finished relaying their success. All of the Zora had also gathered behind them, cheering ecstatically as well before quieting down as the King began to speak.

"Princess Zelda, Hyrule Champion, you did well to survive your trial! The violent downpour has disappeared, as has the threat to Zora's Domain! It is little more than a bad dream now. Thanks to your efforts, there is no longer any danger of a great flood laying waste to Hyrule!" Another cheer rose from the crowd before the King quieted them down again. "You appeased the Divine Beast Vah Ruta and thusly saved Zora's Domain! We are all truly grateful! What you did for us is more than we could have ever expected of you two."

"Link… I must sincerely apologize for my harsh treatment of you as well as the Princess." Muzu said earnestly, nodding his head in satisfaction. "That whole time, you were thinking of Hyrule's and Lady Mipha's well-being, just like the rest of us. All of the members of our council humbly fold our fins back in gratitude, along with the rest of our people. Perhaps the older generation of Zora, myself included, misunderstood Hylians after all. It would seem so. That said, I would be overjoyed if you could find it in your heart to forgive me. If not now, then perhaps one day."

Link and Zelda both smiled and nodded in return, turning their heads towards the King as his loud voice rang out through the throne room once more. "Link, Zelda, I must reward your efforts!" As the King spoke the last word, a young Zora maiden trotted into the throne room, holding something long that was wrapped up in an elegant blue and silver cloth. She stopped in front of the two Hylians, and with a great flourish, unveiled the gift in her hands to be an intricately carved trident with precious jewels dangling from its sides. It was white and woven with pink, blues, and even a hint of orange. The impressive weaponry was both graceful and threatening.

The King continued to speak as the Zora maiden knelt and presented the weapon to Link. "This trident was cherished by Mipha. A memento of sorts. I would like you to have it as a token of our friendship. Please take good care of it."

Link looked down onto the trident, his hand hovering over the trident. He hesitated, then pulled his hand away. "The gift is much appreciated, King Dorephan, but… I can't accept it." He paused, letting his words settle. "I don't want to tarnish Mipha's memory in battle, although I'm sure it would be put to good use."

The great Zora King was lost in thought for a moment before he nodded approvingly. "You're quite noble, Hylian Champion. By the way, I see you are without your trusty blade… the sword that seals the darkness."

Link felt his stomach clench as the image of the Master Sword flashed in his mind. A strange longing began to grow inside of him.

"Did you perhaps lose it when you lost your memory?" The King questioned.

Zelda stepped into the conversation. "Not exactly… When Link fell, I took the sword somewhere safe and secure, where it would await its master."

"Ah… I see." King Dorephan murmured. "So it is indeed awaiting your arrival. That is glad news… But of course, wise Princess, courageous Champion, all of the Zora thank you from the depths of our hearts for your heroic and selfless work!" The King paused again and looked down on his son, Sidon, who stood on his right hand side. "And you too, Sidon." Sidon turned towards his father once his name was mentioned. "As your father, I am proud of you for fighting the divine Beast alongside Link and Zelda. You have grown much recently. I know you will be a worthy heir when your time comes."

Sidon's face lit up before he nodded his head in gratitude. "Father… I… Thank you!"

The King continued with renewed gusto. "The heavy rains have stopped, and the Divine Beast is our ally once again! How glorious! Truly splendid!" The King cried, laughing heartily.

"Link! Zelda! This is wonderful!" Sidon exclaimed, flexing his arm in his familiar signature move. He walked towards the two Hylians and violently shook Link's hand before taking Zelda's and doing the same. Still holding onto her hands, Sidon chuckled brightly. "Thank you so much! Truly, I could never thank you enough! You helped save our home from vanishing away! This calls for a top-tier expression of gratitude!"

Zelda, still having her hands in Sidon's smiled weakly in embarrassment. "Oh no, really, that's not nece-"

"ZO! ZO! RA RA RA!" All of the Zora suddenly shouted, throwing up their arms in celebration. King Dorephan laughed once more, his deep booming chortle only adding to the noise. Sidon grinned as the cheering continued.

"With all my heart… Thank you!" He cried out, letting go of Zelda and taking a step back, bowing his head to both Link and Zelda as the cheer molded into a continuous roar of shouts and whistles as the Zora people all jumped and pumped their fists into the air with rapturous joy.

Once the ceremony ended, Link and Zelda finished speaking with the King and Muzu before leaving the throne room, reuniting with Caviar at the main entrance of the Domain. However, before they could leave, Sidon ran towards them with a bundle of various packages in his arms.

"Link! Zelda! Wait!" He shouted, skidding to a stop in front of them. "My father wanted to give you these." He helped the two Hylians situate the packages onto Caviar's saddle as he continued to talk. "Inside you'll find food ready for travel, bandages and a cream-like medicine that will soothe pain, and two thick blankets from our finest weavers. They will keep you warm in the night." Once the gifts were situated, Sidon turned to look at Link and Zelda. "Speaking of the night… do you two want to stay for breakfast? You must be exhausted!"

Link and Zelda glanced at each other before Zelda spoke. "We feel perfectly rejuvenated, actually."

"How?" Sidon asked.

"After we cleansed Ruta, Mipha appeared to us as a spirit…" Sidon gasped slightly and his eyes widened, making Zelda hesitate before she continued. "She healed us, including Link's injury on his arm. It is also how we got out of the Divine Beast, and why it is now perched on top of that mountain."

Sidon turned to look at the great Divine Beast before looking back at the Hylians. "You saw my sister?" He questioned. Zelda nodded. Sidon took a deep breath as if to calm himself. He turned away to gaze at Vah Ruta once more. "How is she faring?"

"She was as selfless as ever." Link answered with a small sad smile.

Sidon chuckled. "Was she then? That's good…" He looked over his shoulder at Link and Zelda. "Thank you for saving her." He said softly, beginning to walk away when he stopped suddenly. "Oh, I almost forgot! Inside that package there is your change of clothes. The Zora armor may be suitable for fighting, but it is not meant for traveling. It is quite heavyweight." And with that, Sidon walked back into his precious Domain, his head bowed deep in thought.

Link and Zelda watched him go before Zelda turned to Caviar and pulled out the package Sidon had mentioned. She opened it up, pulling out her traveling clothes before handing Link his Champion's tunic and the rest of his clothes. Link took the bundle silently, keeping his eyes trained on the Domain, mainly the silhouette of Mipha's statue in the distance.

"Are you going to go change?" Zelda asked quietly, tapping Link lightly on the shoulder.

"Huh?" Link replied, shaking his head as if he had fallen into a daze.

Zelda's eyes flickered with concern before she repeated her question. "Are you going to change here?"

"Oh… I… I guess I will." He answered, clearly distracted. His mind was somewhere else, in the midst of the many memories he and Mipha had shared. He wondered if he would ever really move on from her sudden death. It seemed an impossible task.

A few moments later, Link and Zelda were both in the clothes they had arrived in almost a week earlier. They were already on top of Caviar, with Link in front. The two travelers took one last look at Zora's Domain, before finally turning away and, with Link snapping the reigns, riding across the long blue bridge that took them farther and farther away from the Zora.

The next Divine Beast awaits.

The trip back along the winding route they had taken to get to Zora's Domain went by a lot quicker without the constant downpour of rain, and without the exhaustion and injuries they had before.

As Link calmly led Caviar along the path, sniping monsters with a well-placed arrow from his bow, Zelda chatted on about their next mission.

"Once we're off of this path, we'll continue to Death Mountain. There we'll find the… Gorons." Zelda read from the Sheikah Slate, holding it in front of Link so that he could glance at the map before he strung his bow and casually shot a Lizalfo in the head.

"Sounds good to me, except for that whole 'Death Mountain' part." He replied, glancing at the map on the Slate again as Zelda still had it in front of him. "What's over there?" He asked, pointing to the top right corner.

Zelda pulled the Sheikah Slate closer and zoomed in on the area Link had pointed to. "It's called… Akkala. There aren't any Divine Beasts over there, though."

"Well, what about those pictures you took? What if one of those areas is over there?" Link asked. Even though he had most of his memories of Mipha back, Link realized that he knew nothing else of his past except for the fact that he had been Zelda's knight and that he had traveled with her… and that something had deeply bothered Zelda about him 100 years ago…

"Perhaps we can ask someone at the next stable? We may be able to get there by nightfall." Zelda suggested, showing the map to Link once more, pointing out a stable that was just before the so-called Death Mountain.

Link nodded. "Alright."

They continued along the pathway, arriving at Inogo Bridge where they had first met Sidon by noonday. They stopped there for a while to give Caviar a break, and to have some lunch. They unwrapped one the packages to find a delicious pastry that was somehow still warm and a variety of strange fruits that seemed native only to the Zora's. After the food was resting happily in their stomachs, they shared some fruit with Caviar before climbing back on and continuing their journey, taking a sharp turn towards the north where Death Mountain loomed in the distance.

To put the volcano into one word, it would be intimidating. It had a large black cloud spewing out from its peak, darkening the sky around it. Thin strips of bright lava trickled down from its uneven surface, and even from where they were Link could imagine how unbearable the heat would be. He was not looking forward to trekking to Goron City.

As the sun steadily crept across the sky, Link and Zelda often met other merchants and travelers along the road, with some simply nodding their heads in greeting or even waving. However, as they were coming close to the crossroads that would either take them to Death Mountain or Akkala, a shout of alarm caused Link to stop Caviar.

"Take that you feral beast!" A man cried out, which was immediately accompanied by the snarl of a bokoblin.

Link instantly slid off of Caviar and drew his sword, while Zelda readied her Sheikah Slate and hopped off as well. "There!" She exclaimed, pointing towards a collection of stone ruins where an old man and woman were fighting against a white bokoblin. It was wielding a rusted broadsword, while the old man and woman held shields and swords of their own.

"Get out of the way!" Link shouted as he sprinted towards the monster, his sword held out at his side. The old man and woman's heads snapped towards him and instantly jumped back as Link jumped at the bokoblin and slashed down, immediately decapitating it.

Zelda ran up to Link and the old man and woman, who all put their swords away. The old man was staring at Link with amazement, but the woman was scowling deeply.

"Thanks for the help, young man!" The old man praised, smiling proudly and slapping Link on the back. Link grunted and stumbled forward, but smiled all the same.

"Hold on there now…" The old woman murmured, placing a hand on Link's shoulder to turn him towards her. "You're that Hylian Champion… Link, aren't you?"

Link looked taken aback for a moment before he nodded and smiled warily. The old woman took her hand off of him in response and took a step back, as if she were appalled. On the other hand, the old man grinned largely.

"Well praise the Goddess Hylia! Hyrule still has its protectors!" The old man crowed.

The old woman gave Link a dark scowl. "Well you're a hundred years late! Thanks for sleeping in and letting the whole world suffer for a century!" She barked harshly. The old man's grin fell. "For the past 100 years we have endured famine, monsters, and destruction, all because Hyrule's self-proclaimed champions were too weak."

"Don't you dare insult the champions." Link replied, his voice suddenly dangerously low. "They did everything in their power to protect this land."

The old woman scoffed. "Then their 'everything' wasn't good enough."

Link's eyes narrowed. "And what are you doing to help?"

"I'm surviving!" The old woman spat.

"Please, you must understand, there was nothing we could do when Ganon attacked." Zelda cut in, trying to disperse the tense air.

The old woman's eyes shifted sharply to Zelda. Her scowl darkened. "And you're the princess of failure, hm? The princess of a ruined kingdom and a shattered throne!"

Link then suddenly drew his sword, pointing it at the old woman threateningly. Instantly, the old man quickly jumped in front of her, gently pushing the blade down with a cautious finger. "Now now, we just got done savin' each other. Wouldn't want to reverse that." He said calmly.

However, the old woman from behind him stepped forward and pushed the man out of the way. She looked down on Link's sword and snorted. "Well now, where's your trusty Master Sword? Did you drop it while you were running scared from the Calamity? You can't call yourself the Hylian Champion with that hunk of metal there."

Link's grip tightened on his sword and he swung it at the old woman, gasping when the old man intercepted the blow with his own sword, throwing Link back with surprising strength.

"Young man, you put that sword right back where it came from." The old man instructed. He smiled crookedly. "I apologize for my wife 'ere, she can be pretty firey at times, heh."

His eyes trained on the old woman, who was glaring defiantly at the sword, Link sighed and slipped it back into its scabbard on his hip. Zelda placed a gentle hand on Link's forearm and stepped forward. "We'll bring Hyrule back to its former glory." She said to the old couple, her hand drifting down to intertwine itself with Link's. "I promise."

Without another word, Link and Zelda turned and walked back to Caviar, silently climbing on, with Zelda getting in front. Link looked over his shoulder at the old couple as they rode away, watching as the old woman scoffed and continued to talk in an animated way to her husband. He turned back around when Zelda began to speak.

"She's right, you know."

"The old lady? She didn't know what she was talking about."

"Yes… yes she did. We really did fail 100 years ago, and because of that, Hyrule and it's people… my people…suffered." Zelda said somberly.

"Well… maybe." Link grudgingly agreed. "But she was in no place to say those things about the champions and you."

Zelda glanced over her shoulder for a second. "And you were in no place to react like that. You drew your sword and attacked a harmless old woman, Link!"

"I'm aware." Link replied bluntly. He felt his face turn a slight red. He had simply reacted on instinct; nothing more, nothing less.

They both fell silent for a moment, coming to a crossroads before Zelda directed Caviar onto the path that was half a mile or so away from another stable. "About the Master Sword…" She began, "When do you want to go retrieve it? It's only in the Lost Woods, which isn't too far from here."

"No… We need to help the Gorons first." Link answered. "And…" He started but stopped when he realized that he didn't remember the Goron Champion's name. "And…" He tried again, but his fractured memory did nothing to help.

"...Daruk?" Zelda finished for him.

The name sent a shock through Link, but it wasn't enough to trigger another memory. "Yeah… Daruk."

The short conversation dwindled and faded as they silently came closer to the stable. However, just as the sounds of the many horses and travelers came within earshot, Zelda spoke once more.

"Did you love Mipha?"

The question caught Link off guard. "Lo… Love?"

Zelda glanced over her shoulder for just a second, but it was enough for Link to catch a glimpse of her red, flustered face. "I-I mean, well did you care for her? She obviously had feelings for you, with the-uh-armor and all."

"I don't remember her that well, Zelda."

"...Sorry." Zelda mumbled, hunching her shoulders slightly.

Link sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "No..It's just that-well, things have been confusing lately." He took a breath before continuing as they came nearer to the stable. "I know I knew her ever since I was a kid, but I don't remember what we did exactly. It's frustrating, because I know I have-or-had, feelings for her."

"I thought you would be sure."

Link's hand fell away to his side to rest on the hilt of his sword. "I thought so too." He muttered. Zelda stopped Caviar in front of the stable, and they both slid off of the saddle. It was late evening, and by some unspoken agreement, Link and Zelda decided to stay there for the night. "We really need to get you a horse." Link stated, patting Caviar's side before taking the reigns and leading him to a feeding trough. He took the saddlebags as well, not wanting the supplies and money to get stolen. "Your hair tends to get… in the way when you take the front."

Zelda snickered. "Well, perhaps after we help the Gorons we can do just that." She flipped her golden hair with a side smile, turning away from Link and walking into the stable. The inside was like all of the other stables Link and Zelda had encountered, with multiple beds lining the circular wall and a simple wooden table and chairs closest to them. There was a merchant sitting in one of the chairs, sipping from a harshly carved cup. Some of the beds were already occupied with weary travelers, but the others were still open.

"I'll hurry and buy us some beds for the night. Maybe you could fetch some food?" Zelda asked, reaching into the saddlebag and pulling out 40 rupees. She then walked up to the man at the stable's counter, who smiled as she approached. Link watched the encounter for a moment before he reached into the saddlebag and pulled out a wrapped up slab of fish from the Zora. He walked out to the fire with a pot above it and promptly placed the fish into the pot, pouring some water and herbs from the saddlebag as well. He then took a rock nearby and scraped it against his sword in one quick movement, the sparks landing on the wood beneath the pot and starting a cozy fire.

He sat and watched the fish cook, his stomach longing for the tasty meat to sit inside of it. Zelda soon came out to join him, sitting next to him, making a comment about the food in which Link replied to.

"Are you two planning on traveling up Death Mountain?" A young girl asked them, a bulging bag resting on her hip while she held a broom in one hand. The other hand was planted on her hip. Based on her attire, Link could tell that she worked for the stable.

Zelda nodded. "Yes, we were planning on leaving tomorrow morning."

The girl snorted. "You won't make it far without Fireproof Elixirs."

"Fireproof Elixirs?" Link repeated. "How are those supposed to help us?"

Snorting again, the girl resituated her position, both hands resting on her broom. "Isn't it obvious? They protect you from the scorching heat of the volcano. Without them, you won't make it to the first marker without combusting into flames." She spoke with a crooked smile before she pulled a bottle of dark liquid from her bag. "Of course, I would be willing to sell one to each of you two, but the price is 110 rupees."

"But that's all we have." Zelda pointed out.

The girl's grin widened. "I know. But without my precious elixirs, you won't make it to Goron City."

Zelda frowned at the girl, before giving in and pulling the money from the saddlebag. She regretfully reached out and placed the rupees in the girl's outstretched hand, in which she then handed two bottles to each of them. She straightened and tipped her hat to them, turning and walking away before glancing over her shoulder.

"Oh, and make sure you have enough money to buy Flamebreaker Armour once you arrive in Goron City. Once the elixirs wear out, you'll burn to a crisp!" She exclaimed cheerily, snickering as she continued on her way.

"How're we going to get more rupees?" Zelda asked Link, glaring at the girl as she sauntered away.

Link frowned and looked at their bag, then Caviar, who was happily munching away at the food in the trough. He then glanced at the fish and flipped it over with a stick, letting it cook on its other side. "We could sell the supplies Sidon gave us." He ventured, gesturing to the two thick blankets.

Zelda shrugged. "It's worth a shot. I don't see us using those anytime soon." She joked, nodding her head towards the looming volcano. The two Hylians then looked around at the merchants at the stable, searching for one who looked like they could bargain for the blankets. Link gasped when he saw a familiar face, or… bag. It was Beedle, sitting on the opposite side of the stable with a makeshift counter hanging from his giant beetle-shaped bag full of who knows what.

"Hey, look who it is." Link said, nudging Zelda and pointing to Beedle. Zelda's face fell into a scowl.

"Look who it is." She repeated with a low tone. She sighed and stood, Link about to follow suit when she stopped him and reminded him of the fish. "You need to finish cooking our dinner." She said before walking off towards Beedle, the two blankets in her arms.

Link glanced at the fish and flipped it again before grabbing a plate he had borrowed from the table in the stable. He stabbed the fish with the stick and placed it onto the platter, putting the fire out with more water and cleaning out the pot. He looked over to Beedle and Zelda, hearing the distant sound of Beedle crying out in excitement once Zelda presented the Zora blankets to him. He saw the strange merchant nod ecstatically before Zelda gave the blankets to him, in which he placed some rupees into her hands. She counted the money and smiled, nodding to Beedle in thanks before walking back over to Link.

"He gave me 200 rupees!" Zelda proclaimed happily, showing the rupees to Link before slipping them into her bag. She then looked down at the cook fish. "That looks tasty." She commented as Link picked it up and stood.

"Hopefully it is as tasty as it looks then." He replied, walking with Zelda back into the stable. The merchant who had been at the table before was gone, leaving it open for Link and Zelda, who gladly sat down.

They happily began to eat the fish, which was surprisingly good. "Why weren't you my appointed cook 100 years ago?" Zelda joked, placing another chunk into her mouth.

Link chuckled. "At least cooking isn't something I fail at."

Zelda gave Link a look. "Don't say that. I'm trying to lighten the mood, here."

"I thought I was too." Link smiled slyly, receiving a playful nudge from Zelda.

Soon night came, and with the fish resting happily in Link and Zelda's stomachs, they both went to their two reserved beds, Link slipping his bow, arrows, and sword off and setting them next to his bed while Zelda kept the saddlebag next to hers. The Sheikah Slate, however, stayed rightfully on her hip.

"Goodnight, Link." Zelda mumbled to him, smiling contentedly as she laid down onto the bed, pulling the covers up to her chin.

Link smiled in return before climbing into his bed. "Goodnight."

"_I never knew you were such a great cook, Link." Zelda said brightly, munching on the meal Link had made for her. They were resting around a fire, as they were traveling to Goron City to meet with Daruk, the new champion. Link always liked meeting with him the most. He was really the only champion who Link felt comfortable around. But who couldn't love the openly optimistic Goron? _

_Link smiled but kept to himself, silently carving at a chunk of wood with a dagger. The Princess, however, didn't let the conversation die there. _

"_You never fail to surprise me." She continued, chuckling breathily. She looked up at Link, waiting for a response. When none came, she sighed and looked back down at her food. "But there is always one thing I can count on." Link looked over at his charge, curious to hear what she was going to say._

"_No matter how hard you try, or how desperate you seem, you always find a way to fail." She dropped the platter of food onto the ground, the cooked meat sliding off of the plate as it clattered onto the hard dirt. "I find it hard to believe you are the chosen one." The Princess smiled sadistically as she continued. "The Gods were blind to their choice, as is your precious Master Sword. This world is doomed." She then stood, raising her head so that her eyes met with Link's. However, what Link saw was not the normal green eyes of the Princess. They were a flaming orange, with a dark purple smoke drifting from them like eyelashes. They looked like the eyes that grew from malice. _

_Link instantly stood and grabbed his Master Sword, holding it out in front of him as Zelda cackled, her golden hair slowly turning to the color of malice as she held out her hands like claws. A dark black smoke began to emanate from her palms, circling around her arms and causing her hair to twist and turn. "Who are you to raise your sword against me?" Zelda inquired, a growling voice slowly taking over her own. "You're nothing but a helpless child with nothing more than the stories of past heroes to push him forward. Do you know how many countless times I've been beaten to oblivion by sniveling boys in green?" Liquid-like malice then slowly crept towards Zelda from the shadows, crawling up her legs and overtaking her body, ripping her clothes and transforming her into a hideous humanoid monster with malice for a body and fire for hair. _

_The creature took a threatening step forward, a black jagged sword growing in one of its hands. Link raised his sword in defiance, but the monster simply swept its free hand in the hair, the Master Sword promptly crumbling to ash. The creature let out a horrendous cackle and swiped its sword at Link. The scene then shifted, darkness swirling around Link before he found himself face to face with a guardian, it's gleaming blue eye trained directly on him. He suddenly felt completely exhausted, pain emanating from every inch of his body. He keeled over, reaching behind him for a sword that wasn't there. A red tracking laser suddenly appeared on his chest, coming from the guardian's eye. _

"_Now another fool comes to threaten me, this time in blue…" The voice spoke, circling around Link like the smoke that choked his throat. "Your past lives must feel immense shame in seeing their descendant cower in fear and pain… And now you will face their disgust face to face…" The voice grew distant, as if it were speaking to Link from the opposite end of a tunnel. "Farewell Hero. I must say… I was looking forward to witnessing what marvelous feats of strength you would accomplish before facing me, but as I predicted, you disappointed me…" _

_Just then the guardian's eye gleamed, and a single bright laser shot from it, colliding with Link in a moment of searing pain and light._

Link's eyes shot open and he instantly sat up, gasping for breath. He was sweating, but he felt as cold as ice. The voice still echoed in his ears, but there was no one around him. _Failure… disappointment… disgrace… _Link quickly shook his head, trying to erase the image of Zelda becoming consumed by malice from his mind. His body shuddered, and he clutched his stomach and squeezed his eyes shut.

They opened once more however as the creak of wood caught his attention. He turned his head and found himself staring straight into the white mask of a Yiga Clan member. The man chuckled low underneath his breath before raising his sickle in the air and knocking Link out with its hilt.

**CLIFFHANGER! Mwahahah!**

**By the way, that scene with the old couple was inspired by the episode The Storm from Avatar: The Last Airbender! Did any of you catch that? **


	12. Guardians and Nightmares

**Hey y'all! Before you all freak out about some of my chapters being deleted, (the ones that were after this one,) don't freak out. I wanted to rewrite them with some major changes. Again, don't worry... I thought long and hard about this decision. Thanks for your patience!**

**Also, sorry if your review no longer makes sense with me redoing these few chapters, you have my apologies!**

"Why don't we just kill 'em now? Be done with it?" A voice spoke, getting louder and louder as Link slowly woke up. His head instantly began to ache where the Yiga Soldier had hit him. Wait… The Yiga! Link groggily opened his eyes, seeing two figures standing nearby, the evening sun illuminating their silhouettes.

"Master Kogha wanted us to bring them alive, remember?"

"But we're on the opposite side of Hyrule! It'll take days before we get them there. We should just kill them here and save ourselves a lot of trouble."

The two men then moved slightly, making it so that Link could make out some details about the men. They looked normal enough. The only sign that they were Yiga were the sickles hanging off of their hips. Link instantly tried to get up, but he quickly found that his arms were wrapped around the tree trunk he was leaning against, with a firm rope tied tightly around his wrists. His sword, bow, and arrows were nowhere to be found, including their horse, Caviar.

"I'm telling you, Master Kogha wants them at our hideout and alive." One of the men stated, clearly frustrated.

The other man growled in anger before responding. "The Master is crazy! I don't know about you, but I am not taking these two all the way to the Gerudo Desert. Traveling at night is already a pain."

These two? Link questioned in his mind, his heart jumping in shock as he realized what they meant. Zelda! Where's Zelda?

"Then I will gladly tell Master of your failure! You'll end up just like that foolish Sheikah Dorian." The other man spat.

Link's blood ran cold. Dorian? He's one of the guards for Impa! He's with them? He shook the thought from his head, however, as he wildly looked around the area for Zelda as the two men continued to bicker and argue.

They were in a secluded area surrounded by rock and ruins. There were two horses picketed to the ground a ways away. He craned his head up and saw Death Mountain looming above them, but the peak looked far away, which worried Link. How far did these two take them? Soon he found Zelda, lying unconscious against a different tree ten or so feet away, her wrists tied behind the trunk exactly like Link's.

He began to struggle, the ropes digging into his wrists. He quickly caught the attention of the two Yiga Soldiers, one of them coming towards him and squatting in front of him.

"Hey there sleepy head." He sneered. "Had a good rest?" He had rough brown hair that hung over his eyes, causing him to continuously brush it back. His face was sharp and angular, like a hawk's. He was the one who wanted to kill them and "be done with it."

The other Yiga Soldier folded his arms. This one had bright blonde hair that was almost white, with surprisingly dark eyes. "Come off it Tryvan." He said. "Why don't you check his ropes?"

Tryvan glared fiercely at his partner before sneering again at Link and slapping the back of his head before walking behind the tree trunk. Link felt him grab at the ropes and tug on them before tightening them painfully. He then came back around and planted his hands on his hips, looking down on Link with disgust.

"I can't believe this moron managed to stab your brother, Jarin," Tryvan said with a snort. The other Yiga, Jarin, shot his partner a dangerous look before approaching Link.

He squatted so that they were eye level, just like how Tryvan had moments before. As Link searched the man's face, he had a quick flashback to their first encounter with the rebellious Sheikah. It had happened just before they had made it to East Gate.

Jarin looked over Link with an expressionless face, before meeting his eyes again. "That is why it will bring me immense satisfaction to drag him all across this cursed land. It'll give me plenty of time to avenge my brother."

Just then Zelda began to move, her eyes slowly drifting open. She moaned deliriously before waking with a start as she realized their situation. Tryvan immediately looked over at her with an amused smile, while Jarin's face remained firm and motionless.

"What's going on?" Zelda asked, sounding confused and disoriented.

Tryvan laughed. "Good morning, Princess."

Zelda's eyes immediately shifted, stopping once she found Link. She then looked at Jarin, and then the sickle that dangled on his hip. "Are you here to kill us?" She asked.

"More or less," Tryvan replied.

That's when Jarin stood. "We're taking you two to the Gerudo Desert."

Tryvan snorted. "It's gonna be a long journey for all of us, but lucky for you two, you'll be unconscious for most of the trip."

Jarin simply rolled his eyes and walked away to the two horses that were picketed to the ground. He began to adjust the saddle and the bags on one of the horses, which had a solid gray coat and a black mane. He pulled out a bottle that was filled with a thick dark liquid. At first, Link thought it was their fireproof elixirs from the lady at the stable, but it was more of a dark blue rather than what the elixirs had looked like.

Jarin walked towards Tryvan with the bottle in hand. "Let's get going. It'll take longer then normal since we have to avoid the main roads, and we have to cover as much ground as possible if we're only going to be traveling at night."

Tryvan groaned and violently snatched the bottle from Jarin's hand. "Fine." He snapped, walking and squatting in front of Zelda with the bottle in hand. "See you in a bit, little lady." He then opened up the bottle and reached for Zelda's face, but she instantly recoiled.

"What is that? Poison?" She asked frantically.

Tryvan chuckled. "No, you'll wake up… eventually." He then grabbed Zelda's chin and forced her mouth open, pouring about a third of the liquid into her mouth. She choked and gagged before finally swallowing, her eyes instantly rolling into the back of her head as her whole body slumped against the tree.

"What did you do to her?" Link asked, panicked.

Tryvan turned to Link and walked over, swishing the remaining contents in the bottle. "So the Silent Hero finally speaks. I was wondering when we'd get a sound out of you." He then grabbed at Link's hair, pulling on it harshly.

Link winced and gritted his teeth, glaring at Tryvan. Tryvan laughed. "I'm not worried though. We'll get some screams out of you soon enough. I'm sure we'll get some juicy ones once we kill the girl."

"Don't hurt her." Link growled, just as Jarin shoved Tryvan out of the way and grabbed the bottle from him, grabbing Link's jaw and forcing his mouth open.

"The one you should be worried about is yourself." Jarin threatened quietly, quickly pouring the liquid into Link's mouth. Link tried to spit it out, but it was already trickling down his throat. He could feel his mind beginning to fade away, and the more he fought it, the farther he drifted.

"Sweet dreams, Hero." Jarin crooned, smiling wickedly as Link's vision darkened.

"_Take a bite, Brother!" Daruk exclaimed, grinning largely as Link raised the chunk of rock the Goron called a 'Rock Steak' to his mouth. Apparently, it was insanely delicious, but Link had only ever heard that from the Gorons, and he didn't think Hylians ate rocks. He sniffed the rock precariously, looking over at Daruk with a raised eyebrow._

_The Goron Champion reared his head back and let out a loud hearty guffaw. "Don't look at me like that!" He said, "Try it, and you will know why it is praised amongst the Gorons!" _

_Link sighed, realizing he would never wiggle out of this situation. He closed his eyes and brought the Rock Steak closer to his open mouth before biting down, a sharp pain lancing up his jaw. He winced and recoiled, opening his eyes. _

"_Hello, Hero." Tryvan snarled, gripping his chin in a claw-like grip, Daruk nowhere to be found. The Rock Steak and the Champion had vanished completely. Tryvan then pulled out another bottle full of dark liquid from behind him, pouring all of it into Link's aching mouth. The world swirled, and Link felt the ground give away as he fell into nothing. _

_He was spiraling in darkness, not knowing which way was up or down. Expecting to feel terror, Link felt surprisingly… nothing. He was as empty as the air around him until a single spark rose up near his face. It twirled and danced on an invisible breath, before suddenly expanding and engulfing Link's vision with a bright light. _

_Once the light faded, Link found himself standing at the entrance to Zora's Domain, where Divine Beast Vah Ruta towered before him. Mipha was standing between him and the Beast, staring at him with soulless eyes. _

"_Mipha!" Link cried, sprinting towards the Zora Princess. She remained motionless as the Divine Beast behind her reared up on its hind legs, stomping down onto Mipha. "No!" He screamed, just as the trunk of Ruta smashed into the ground in front of him, blasting him miles away with its powerful current of water. _

_Slamming into a sudden wall, Link slumped to a floor that had appeared out of nowhere, and when he looked up, he saw a wooden ceiling. He was in a tightly closed box. He looked down and gasped as he saw water trickling in from the bottom when the box suddenly shook as if a giant held it in its hand and was throwing it into the air. The water continued to fill the box, even as the violent trembling shook the box over and over again. It wasn't until the water was to his chest that he heard an echo growing louder and louder with every shake. _

"...link… Link… LINK!"

Link's eyes shot open and he sat up with such force that he heard a gasp to the side of him. He was in a panic, looking around wildly until he realized he was no longer in the wooden box.

"Link!" Zelda exclaimed, grabbing his shoulders so that he was forced to look into her eyes. Her face was pale. "You're awake!

Link felt his heart rate slow, as well as his breathing. "I…It…" He trailed away, blinking out the bright morning sun before a shining laser shot right past him, exploding violently into the grass behind him. He spun around, scrambling away from the fire. Zelda shot to her feet, grabbing Link's arm and tugging him behind her as she ran towards a brown horse that Link quickly recognized as Caviar.

Link struggled onto his feet behind Zelda, his heart rate skyrocketing immediately. Around him was pure chaos, all thanks to a single Guardian that was chasing after a man galloping on a gray horse, firing laser after deadly laser, shooting down trees and bursting the ground into flames as it did so. Link could only assume that that man was one of the Yiga that had kidnapped him and Zelda.

While the Guardian was pursuing the man on the horse, Zelda dragged Link towards their brown stallion before them. She quickly scrambled up into the saddle, helping Link up as Caviar whinnied nervously.

Just then an explosion sounded, accompanied by a pain-filled scream and the dying cry of a horse. The sound spurred Caviar into action and caused Link's face to pale. The Guardian had successfully killed its prey. It's blue eye then locked onto Link and Zelda, a tracking laser appearing on Link's back as they sped away.

A piercing beeping sounded with the tracking laser, slowly speeding up as the Guardian charged its attack. Link glanced over his shoulder, the corrupted machine hot on their trail. "Zelda, swerve!" He cried.

"I'm trying!" She replied with a grunt, tugging on the reins harshly.

A flash then appeared behind Link, and with another look over his shoulder, he just had enough time to gasp before the Guardian released its laser, shooting directly into Caviar. Link's vision blacked out for a second as both he and Zelda were thrown off, landing harshly on the grass as Caviar collapsed.

Groaning, Link sat up and rubbed his head, blinking the lights out of his eyes until they focused on Caviar, who wasn't moving. The Guardian was stalking towards them, its spider-like legs stepping over the horse's body without hesitation. Again the tracking laser appeared on Link's chest, but all he could do was stare at the machine steadily approaching.

Suddenly, something flashed again, but it wasn't the Guardian. Link blinked, his hearing being blocked off by a high ringing until it shifted and all he could hear were screams-then the ringing-then the screams. There! There it was again! It only took another second until Link realized what was happening. The sky was changing; flickering back and forth between day, and a smoke-filled night. Surrounding him was fire, and then none-and then fire again. It was as if two times were converging into one, fighting over which was dominant.

"Link!" Zelda screamed, grabbing his arm and pulling him away just as the Guardian fired its deadly beam right where Link had been moments before. The force of the laser shooting the ground again threw the two Hylians, knocking Link's head on the ground.

He hurriedly sat up, the ringing, screams, and fire gone. Zelda was beside him, struggling to sit up. He helped her, both of their heads snapping again towards the Guardian, which was still pursuing them, tracking laser appearing once more out of its blue, hypnotic eye.

Link scrambled onto his feet, stumbling a bit when his body protested by sending sharp lances of pain up his legs and down his arms. Ignoring this, he helped Zelda stand and the two immediately started to run, hoping to escape the horrid thing behind them.

Adrenaline pumping, Link couldn't help but feel his mind drifting back to the changing of the sky, to the terrified and anguish-filled screams of the people he had heard… What was that? Some sort of memory? Link shook his head, panting as he urged his legs to move faster. He couldn't think about that now. His eyes snapped to his side and he pulled Zelda with him behind a tree just as the Guardian fired again, the laser exploding into the tree and causing it to start to fall over. With Zelda letting out a yelp, both Hylians darted out of the way and continued to run, coming towards a bridge. Maybe if they just made it across, then they would be safe.

Link pushed himself to go faster, hearing the beeping and whirring of the Guardian behind them. They just needed to make it across. That was it! The Guardian fired its laser again, causing Link and Zelda to duck just in time and hastily scramble onto the wooden bridge, their feet clapping loudly onto the surface. They sprinted across it, turning and stopping to see if their plan had worked.

The Guardian paused at the other side of the bridge, its single blue eye losing its tracking laser as it looked down at the wood before it. It's blue eye then swiveled back up to Link and Zelda, and its furious pink glow dimmed down as it turned around and crawled away.

Link and Zelda both breathed a sigh of relief, watching the Guardian leave. Link then saw something in the distance past the fire and smoke, which caused his blood to run cold. It was just a small figure, but he could just make out Caviar's dead body lying in the scorched fields. Link felt his heart sink in grief for their lost companion, instantly turning to Zelda to get some answers, as his mind had suddenly been flooded with questions.

"What happened?" He demanded, realizing how harsh he sounded before softening his tone, "Why were you awake before I was? What happened to the Yiga?"

Zelda was staring into the fields, obviously having spotted Caviar as well. She didn't break her gaze with the sight as she softly answered, her voice sounding hollow. "I woke up just before it happened. That Guardian shot the horse the other Yiga was on-Jarin, I think his name was, and you. You both fell to the ground, with you still being unconscious. The horse the other Yiga was on and I bucked us off, flinging me off while the other Yiga rode off as the Guardian chased him after him. I went to you. Jarin wasn't there. He was gone. Before everything they had Caviar riding along with them, with the Yiga I was with holding the rope that held him."

Link frowned. His thoughts again drifted to the strange changing and flashing from earlier, the screams echoing in his head. What was that? What had happened? He felt slightly nauseated, just as Zelda tore her gaze away from Caviar and the burning fields.

"Let's get going." She said, letting out a sigh as she turned around to continue walking, pulling out the Sheikah Slate as she did so. Link looked down at her hip, spotting a small sack hanging there.

"What's that?" He asked, partially because of curiosity and because he wanted to get his mind off of everything that had just happened.

Zelda glanced down at the sack. "It's all that I managed to grab from Caviar's saddlebags during all of the… commotion." She explained, "I've got our two fireproof elixirs there and about 50 rupees or so."

Link tried to go for a smile. "That's good!"

Nodding, Zelda kept her eyes trained on the Sheikah Slate, looking over the map. "It looks like we're heading in between the Crenel Hills and Crenel Peak. The closest stable is over there," She pointed northwards, "and it's also right by the Great Hyrule Forest. That's where the Master Sword is."

Link felt his stomach clench slightly at the name of the legendary blade, and he immediately had the urge to sprint towards the forest that instant, but he held himself back. "Let's skip over the stable and head for Death Mountain." He said, taking note of how Zelda was avoiding talking about Caviar.

"It'll take longer than what we're used to, with-" She cut herself off, her face darkening with a frown.

"With Caviar gone." Link finished for her. Zelda sighed and clipped the Sheikah Slate back onto her hip.

"Everything was happening so fast. I should've swerved, as you said, then maybe we wouldn't have to walk, and Caviar would still be here." She said in a low tone.

Link shook his head. "It's not your fault." He stated simply.

Zelda let out a little scoff, although it wasn't spiteful towards Link. "But it is! I could've done more! I should have let you have the reins."

"Me? I was half out of it then! If I had had the reins, we wouldn't have made it."

Zelda fell silent for a moment as they began walking up a slight incline, their feet leaving behind shallow indents in the green ground. "I'm sorry." She said quietly after a while.

Link gave her another smile, this one coming easier than the last. "Don't be."

"But Caviar, he-he died!"

"You can't let that weigh on your conscience, you know. We already have enough on our minds." Link looked down at the ground, thinking back to the anguish-filled screams from earlier.

Zelda let out another sigh. "You're right."

Silence enveloped the two as they turned a corner and began to walk downwards, spotting another bridge up ahead. As they walked Link also thought back to his recent nightmares, which were still incredibly vivid in his mind. He thought back to the first dream he had experienced, with the growling voice and malice, and then… the Guardian. He recalled how exhausted he had felt staring into its single blue eye, how hopeless he had felt, especially with the bodiless voice that had taunted him. He shuddered, catching the attention of Zelda.

"Something on your mind?" She asked as they stepped onto the bridge.

Link nodded, sucking in a breath before continuing. "Yeah… recently, I've been having these… dreams." He glanced at Zelda, who nodded for him to continue. "The first one was the worst. There was this… voice, that talked about boys in green, and my past lives? I remember it really well. The voice seemed… otherworldly, almost." The image of the horrendous humanoid monster that Zelda had become from the malic flashed in his mind, and he shuddered again.

"Perhaps it was talking about the 10,000-year-old legend," Zelda suggested.

"Maybe."

"And you've had other dreams like that? With the voice?"

Link shook his head. "No the other was about Daruk, Mipha, and the Yiga."

Zelda hummed in thought, thinking to herself.

"Who do you think that voice was?" Link asked.

"I don't know, but I'll tell you what…" She paused as they passed by a young man carrying a large pack on his back, who glanced at them briefly but not saying a word. "I've had dreams like that too." She continued as they walked on.

Link raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Well, not exactly like yours, with the voice and all. But I have had nightmares about the kingdom getting destroyed, with me just helplessly watching. I think it's echoing how I really felt 100 years ago."

"Helpless? You're the least helpless person I know." Link joked, cracking a smile.

Zelda shrugged. "I don't know. With the memories we've collected, it seems like I was helpless. I know I was trying to unlock my sealing power, which came surprisingly easy in Ruta. I think right before Calamity Ganon attacked I was trying to unlock my power, but failed to do so. Or… something like that. It's all blurry and mixed up in my head."

Falling silent for just a moment, Link thought over what Zelda had just said. He felt comfort in knowing Zelda was experiencing something similar to him, but that comfort was tainted with guilt. He frowned, puzzled. Why was he feeling guilty for something like that? Was it because of their failure 100 years ago? Must be. He frowned. No, it wasn't their failure, it was his failure. His failure in protecting the Princess. If he hadn't failed, then they wouldn't have woken up in the Shrine of Resurrection, and then they wouldn't be in this mess.

Soon noonday came, and Link and Zelda were already halfway along the path towards the stable right before Death Mountain. More specifically, the path towards Foothill Stable. They paused off the side of the road, sitting underneath a worn tarp from a past traveler to catch their breath. It was also there when Link found a rusted sword stuck into the ground by the tarp, and he had promptly taken the cheap weapon into his hands. It felt good to be armed again.

Before this on their little trip, they had spoken almost the entire time, covering mostly just casual topics such as: reflecting over their trip to Zora's Domain, (with Zelda teasing Link about their little "shortcut" that hadn't gone as planned,) the flamboyant attitude of the Zora Prince, and many others. They both consciously avoided topics such as their memories and Caviar, as they had both wanted a break from such heavy subjects.

As they finished resting up and got to their feet, walking back along the trail, Zelda dusted off her pants and asked a question Link thought he wouldn't ever hear again. "So, are you ever going to keep teaching me how to sword fight?"

Link raised an eyebrow at her, having just slipped the rusted sword into one of the make-shift leather sheaths. "You're still on about that?"

"Of course!"

Link gave a little sigh with a smile on his face, supposing he could teach her a thing or two until they made it to Foothill Stable. "Alright then." He pulled out the rusted sword, dusting off his Champion's Tunic as some of the rusted metal had gotten onto it. It wasn't the most ideal weapon, but it would have to do. He glanced around their area, spotting a tree branch on the ground, and quickly snatched it up and handing it to Zelda. Her face brightened with excitement, making Link's smile grow. It also tickled the back of his mind, as if a part of him was familiar with that face. The ecstatic face of the Princess whenever she was learning something new. Hold on, he knew that face! He had seen it plenty of times whenever he watched her research the ancient technology. He had seen it whenever she had spoken of the Divine Beasts or the Guardians. The small trickles of memories warmed his heart. For once his past didn't seem all doomed and miserable.

"Okay. The very basics of sword fighting starts with your stance." He began, the facts and teachings of professional sword fighting flooding into his mind even as he spoke about it. Ever since he had woken up from the Shrine, fighting had slowly came naturally for him. Now, he was finally starting to remember the actual techniques and forms of the art.

Zelda nodded, stopping for a moment to show Link an almost perfect stance. "You showed me a bit on our way to Zora's Domain, remember? When your arm was hurt from the-"

"The 'shortcut,' I remember." He cut her off, not wanting to be teased again. Zelda snorted a bit and they both continued to walk. "Anyways, moving on then, I'm guessing you remember the basics?"

"You mean the thrust, side-stroke, stuff like that?"

"Exactly."

Zelda nodded. "I remember. They were surprisingly simple."

And so the lesson continued, with both of them pausing multiple times as Link helped Zelda perfect a specific move before they moved on. They passed by another Hylian traveler every now and then, who always gave them a strange look since they were wielding a rusted sword and a tree branch.

Despite this, they made it to the stable in the afternoon. Zelda was waving her tree branch around in the ways that Link had shown her, both of them chuckling and laughing from the strange looks they got from the stable as they passed on. They both had agreed that stopping for the night would be a waste of time, as they could easily camp in the dry mountains before them.

The afternoon wore on as they walked, with just ten minutes passing by before they reached the entrance to Death Mountain, still laughing and talking excitedly as Link told Zelda more and more about sword fighting. She was sloppy and swung around the tree branch with less proficiency then what Link had in mind, but she was learning quickly, taking in the new information with a fiery gusto that Link appreciated. However, as they made it further in the maw of Death Mountain, distant screams could be heard just ahead. Link instantly held out the rusted sword in front of him, while Zelda dropped the tree branch and pulled out the Sheikah Slate, runes at the ready.

Suddenly, a strange creature barreled past them, shouting incoherent words as it ran away. It was large and round as if it had swallowed a boulder. The name of the creature instantly jumped into Link's head. It was a Goron. However, he couldn't tell if it was a girl or a boy. He wondered if that was a common problem.

His thoughts, however, were quickly cut short when an explosion erupted just ten feet away from them. A Guardian scurried out of the dust, shooting lasers from its single blue eye in a frantic, uncontrolled manner.

Link's stomach dropped in dread, and he could feel Zelda stiffen beside him. The Guardian continued to advance, scurrying down the path as it continued to fire its deadly projectiles. Link quickly jumped into action, grabbing Zelda's wrist and pulling her away from the oncoming machine. Zelda raised the Sheikah Slate as they ran, freezing the Guardian for just a few seconds with the Stasis Rune. This gave them enough time to get out of the way, hugging a steep incline of rock.

The Guardian broke free and continued to run and fire lasers, seemingly even more crazed than before. However, as it ran, one of its legs slipped on the edge of a deeper hotspring, causing it to stumble and fall into the water. The water splashed over the machine, and it sunk until its eye was just above the water. It began to spark, its glowing eye flickering in and out as it struggled to move.

Zelda instantly sprinted towards it, summoning a remote bomb as she did so. Link hastily followed after her, realizing what she was about to do. Stopping a ways away from the edge of the water Zelda threw the bomb at the Guardian, hitting it in the eye as she and Link sprinted away. The Guardian whirred for a moment longer until Zelda activated the bomb, finishing the machine off. It died instantly, the malice that had corrupted it dissipating.

The two Hylians cheered in victory, Link praising Zelda with her quick thinking while Zelda shrugged it off and simply stated it as luck. And with that, the two continued on, Zelda glancing down at the Sheikah Slate. Link was still talking excitedly about the defeat of the Guardian when Zelda cut him off, nudging him in the shoulder.

"Hey, check this out. It looks like we have a memory around here." She said, showing Link one of the pictures. It certainly looked like it, with the orange, pointed rock framing the bottom of the image while the rest showed the landscape.

"Do you think we'll be able to find it?" Link asked.

Zelda studied the image for a moment in response, switching over to the map multiple times. "I think it's going to be somewhere around here." She said, pointing to a flat peak next to a lava lake called Goronbi Lake. "We'll have to go far around the lava though here if we don't want to waste the elixirs." She continued, tracing a path around the lava with her finger.

Link nodded, frowning a bit. "That's going to take a while." He pointed out.

Zelda shrugged. "Not if we hurry."

Even though the two Hylians did hurry, the side trek still took them until late into the night. The trip itself had worn hard on the two, with them having to climb over large cliff sides and jagged boulders, staying far away from the lava that was still too close to them for comfort.

Multiple times the two Hylians had to stop and take a break, both of them sweating not just from the arduous climbing and trekking, but from the steadily increasing temperature as well.

Despite all of the trouble, however, Link and Zelda finally managed to arrive on the flat peak from the picture, lying on the hard rock while the night sky twinkled above them. They were both panting, not in any hurry to stand.

Finally, after what seemed ages, Link sat up with a grunt, wiping his forehead as he looked down a slight decline that they had just climbed up. Zelda sat up beside him, still breathing hard, but not as bad as before. "I hate this place." She muttered to herself, and Link inwardly smiled but made no comment.

A few more minutes passed where nothing happened, causing Link to worry. Were they in the right place? Did they need to wait until the day came for the memory to trigger itself? However, even as he worried over it, Link could feel himself beginning to fall into that familiar pit of his mind, and he let out a little gasp just as his vision blacked out entirely.

"_That cut doesn't look too bad, actually." Zelda said happily, "You're fine for now." She was kneeling beside him, both of them looking over many bokoblins and two lynels, all of which had been slain by Link. "But you know," Zelda continued, "there's a fine line between courage and recklessness." _

_Link looked up at her, trying to keep himself from smiling. He had his sleeve pulled up since Zelda had insisted on looking at a scratch one of the bokoblins had done to him during the skirmish. _

"_As brave as you are, that does not make you immortal." She scolded him, turning to look at the dead carcasses of the monsters and sitting more comfortably next to Link. _

"_It seems that not only is the frequency of these types of attacks on the rise… but the scale of beasts we are facing is intensifying as well." Zelda pondered outwardly. _

_Link immediately restrained himself from correcting Zelda of the fact that it was him and him alone who had battled the beasts, but he let it slide as he smiled inwardly. He continued to watch Zelda as she brought a hand to her heart, looking at the ground with worry._

"_I fear that- I fear that this is an omen which portends the return of Calamity Ganon." She then quickly stood, brushing the dirt from her clothes. Link looked up at her as she continued to talk, a small smile growing on her face. _

"_And, if that's the case, I'm ready to expect the worst. We'll need to make preparations as soon as possible." She stated confidently. Link nodded and stood, waiting for Zelda to take the lead. She did, walking in front of him as they both strolled past the lifeless monsters._

_It seemed that no matter how hard or fast they worked to prepare, the forces of evil were always one step ahead. But Link didn't need the constant reminders. He already knew that in the end, it wouldn't matter how many monsters he slew, for the real beast had yet to come._

Link slowly came back to himself, shaking his head like a dog as he opened his eyes. He saw Zelda do the same next to him, and he nudged her light, giving her a small smile. She returned the expression before letting out a long sigh and lying back down on the rock, her limbs spread out on the hard ground as she stared at the sky. Link laid down next to her, keeping his hands clasped together over his stomach.

The stars slowly inched across the sky above them, with wispy clouds covering them for a brief moment, making them blink in and out. "So…" Zelda began, taking in a deep breath afterward.

"Another memory found." Link finished for her, changing his position so that his hands were underneath his head.

He heard Zelda exhale next to him. "I hate how this is like a checklist for us. It makes them feel less like memories, and more like moments from some else's life."

Link thought about that for a moment, deciding that he agreed. "It does feel like that, doesn't it." He said, and a silence fell over the two Hylians. The knight and the Princess. But could they call themselves that anymore?

After a while, Link heard Zelda shift by him, and when he turned his head, he saw that she had turned her back to face him, using her arm as a pillow. Her side was rising and falling gently, giving Link the indication that she had fallen asleep, or at least was trying to. He allowed himself a slight smile before turning over as well, lying in a similar fashion to Zelda before slowly closing his eyes.

_Pressure. That was all he could feel. Mental and Physical. He had been just passing through one of the many courtyards in Hyrule Castle, glancing at a Guardian that was being tested before it suddenly went out of control, blinking crazily and shooting lasers at random. All of the Sheikah, Hyrulian soldiers, the King, and the Princess had run to hide in safety, watching the machine with terror in their eyes. Link hadn't hesitated. He had sprinted towards the Guardians, the eyes of everyone watching him weighing on his shoulders. He had snatched up a pot lid, hoping to destroy the Guardian before anyone got hurt. _

_Now he was holding the makeshift shield out in front of him just as one of the lasers made contact with the wood. Just as it did, however, he pushed forward, reflecting the laser perfectly off of the lid and back into the Guardian's eye. The Guardian promptly deactivated, no longer blinking and no longer whirring. _

_Everyone instantly swarmed around him, the Princess and the King staying back and watching as Link received many compliments and comments of gratitude. Link took a hesitant step back as everyone gathered around him, sweating nervously from all of the attention. Sure he had saved everyone, but he could've done better. He could've stopped the Guardian before it went crazy. Now that was another machine destroyed when they needed all of them to destroy the Calamity when he returned. _

_Excited and loud voices blended together around Link, making it so that he could hear nothing else. He gave everyone a shaking smile, inwardly pleading them to stop. To just be quiet. The voices only increased in volume, their faces all exaggerated with wide grins and large eyes. Finally, Link couldn't take it anymore. The pressure was too much. The volume was too much. Everything was just… too… much! _

"_Quiet!" He yelled, his voice triumphing over everyone else's as he closed his eyes from the effort of the shout. When he opened his eyes, he was still in the same place, but everyone else wasn't. _

_The Castle was on fire. There were two… no three Guardians surrounding him, with echoes of screams stabbing at his ears. All around him on the Castle and in the town below, hundreds of Guardians crawled over the stones and buildings, firing their destructive blasts at everything. People were dying. Everything was burning. Women and children were crying. Men were screaming. _

_Link spun around in horror, just the tracking lasers from the three Guardians spawned on his chest. He hurriedly raised the pot lid in front of himself in response, just as two more Guardians crawled into view and began to charge an attack as well. How could he reflect all five? How could anyone? They were doomed… all of them! Doomed! _

"_Little Hero, little Hero, you're corned little Hero." A voice suddenly rumbled, causing Link to freeze. It was the voice from before. This dream wasn't normal. It wasn't just a nightmare. He was conscious. Was he experiencing a memory? Was he awake and hallucinating?_

"_Who are you?" Link shouted at the voice, just as all five Guardians simultaneously flashed, firing their lasers directly at Link. He screamed as pain flooded his body, with the voice simply chuckling in his ears. _


	13. Goron City

**Tadaa! Chapter Thirteen done and done!**

"No!" Link shouted, sitting up with a start. The pain was gone. The voice was gone. The Guardians were gone. Link looked around wildly, spotting Zelda rushing towards him. Had she been awake this whole time? Link simply stared at her, panting hard.

"Link! What happened?" She exclaimed, helping him onto his feet as he took a deep breath and let it out, trembling slightly. "Was it another nightmare? Like the ones you told me about?"

Link didn't want to say. So, he simply nodded, clenching his hands into fists to keep them from shaking. Zelda's face flooded with concern, and she took his hands into her own.

"Do you… want to talk about it?" Zelda asked after a moment, keeping her voice quiet.

Link shook his head, his heart rate slowing down. "Why were… you awake?" He asked hesitantly.

"I couldn't sleep." She replied simply.

Looking upwards into the sky, Link saw the moon high above them, illuminating the area around them in a dim, milky white. He sighed and relaxed just a bit more, his hands falling to his side and out of Zelda's.

"I heard the voice again." Link finally said after another drawn-out moment of silence, catching Zelda's attention immediately. "But it wasn't until after I experienced another sort of… memory. I had deflected a Guardian's blast with a pot lid before the Calamity woke, so it was just a… Guardian gone berserk."

Zelda listened intently, looking out into the night, one hand clasped onto her other arm. "I… think I remember that. It was before we were traveling together-before you were assigned as my personal knight."

Link sighed and nodded, walking over to a cliffside and sitting down, leaning against it. Zelda followed, sitting down next to him. "But then it changed. I was at the Castle still, but I think it was after the Calamity attacked. It was horrible, Zelda. Fire and destruction was everywhere, and I could do nothing to stop it."

As Link continued to talk, Zelda rested her head on his shoulder, her hand that held her up touching his. Link glanced down at the contact, allowing himself a small smile, feeling instantly comforted. "But, I think it was just a nightmare." He said in a low tone, recalling how real the dream itself had seemed. But it could only be a dream. He had been asleep, and now he wasn't. Just a dream. A bad one.

"Well, I guess we can spend the night together then," Zelda said with a sort of light hum in her voice, showing how comfortable and relaxed she was, even on the hard rock.

Link nodded again. "Sure, unless you fall asleep on me." He said with another smile, and Zelda laughed lightly beside him.

"We'll see which one of us falls asleep first, then." She challenged with a dreary tone, already suggesting that she was beginning to doze off.

"We'll see." Link repeated, leaning his head back against the rock.

It was Zelda.

Morning came sooner than Link expected, causing him to slowly open up his eyes. It took him a moment to realize that he and Zelda were still in the same position from before, with her head on his shoulder and his head on her head. Zelda woke up when he stirred, opening her eyes and blinking away the early dawn. She realized the position they were in as well, scrambling away from Link with a bright red face. Even as Link moved away as well, he could feel his own face heat up.

Zelda quickly got to her feet, brushing herself off in a hurried and flustered manner. Link got to his feet as well, although he simply cleared his throat awkwardly and picked up the rusted sword that he had set aside before falling asleep, slipping it back through the leather strap on his waist.

Once both Hylians were ready to continue on their way to Goron City, Zelda pulled out the Sheikah Slate and stared down at the map and kept her eyes there, leading Link along the rock. Link watched her back, finally feeling his face to cool down. If she kept this silent treatment up, it was going to be a long day.

Sadly, he was right. Just as they got back onto the path that wounded up to Death Mountain, Zelda had instructed Link to drink the Fireproof Elixir she handed him so that he wouldn't combust into flames, just as she did the same. Zelda then made no other comment besides just briefly mentioning how she hoped the elixirs would last them until they got to Goron City and bought the Flamebreaker Armour.

The day slowly inched on, and even with the Fireproof Elixir protecting them from the smoldering heat, Link still felt as if he were being cooked alive. The thick, suffocating heat was sharp and painful, wrapping itself around its victims and choking them without restraint. And still, even with the protection, the two Hylians had to stay far away from the pools of lava and the multiple monsters and enemies that were cloaked in fire, in which they avoided by sneaking past them, using the boulders and jagged rocks to their advantage.

The entire trip was miserable, especially with Zelda continuing to stay silent. She did make occasional comments now and then, most of them being responses to Link as he tried many times to strike up a conversation.

Two hours slowly crawled by, and finally, Link couldn't take it any longer. "Zelda?" he called, earning a glance over her shoulder in response. He sighed. "Are you mad at me or something?"

Zelda paused for just a moment, her cheeks flushing bright red once again. "Mad? Of course not!"

"Well you've been quiet this whole time, so I just assumed that you were angry."

Zelda quickly shook her head, lowering the Sheikah Slate and finally keeping eye contact with Link for longer than a second. "I'm not mad or angry. It's just that-um… well…" She groaned in exasperation. "I don't know!" She exclaimed, glancing back down at the map on the Slate. "We're almost to a place called the Southern Mine, by the way."

Link took a step towards Zelda and looked down at the Sheikah Slate, seeing that they still had a long way to go before they reached Goron City. His shoulders slumped just as Zelda turned on her heel and continued to walk at a brisk pace. Silence came once again, making Link realize just how hungry he was.

The two soon stepped into the so-called Southern Mine, seeing many, many Gorons hacking away at the rock around them with sharp pickaxes. As they walked along the ones closest to the two glanced at them for a moment, giving them cheerful smiles and waves. Link and Zelda responded in kind, waving back but not stopping. It was a welcome surprise to see so many living beings around them that weren't trying to kill them, and some even gave them a happy "Hello!" in greeting.

The trip through the mine itself however didn't take long, and Link found himself back in the suffocating silence that had accompanied them for the entire day so far. But as another hour and a half wore on, Link finally managed to spark up another conversation with Zelda, which was centered around the Gorons and the Southern Mine.

"If there's a Southern Mine, do you think there's a Northern Mine?" Link asked, now walking side by side with Zelda.

Zelda shrugged, the Sheikah Slate dangling on her hip once more. "Probably."

"Well then what about a Western one? An Eastern one?"

Zelda giggled softly. "I don't see why not."

Link glanced down at the Sheikah Slate. "Can you check?"

"I've been staring at that map for too long today, but if you really want me to, I will."

Link nodded enthusiastically, causing Zelda to playfully roll her eyes and pick up the Slate. She studied the map for a moment. "Huh, well would you look at that." She muttered to herself. "There's only a Southern and Northern one. But for some reason it says that the Northern one is abandoned."

"Really?"

In response, Zelda passed the Slate over to Link, who spotted the Abandoned Northern Mine instantly. He handed the Slate back to Zelda, who promptly clipped it back onto her hip.

"Why do you think it's abandoned?" Link asked.

Zelda hummed in thought for a moment before answering. "Maybe because of the Divine Beast Vah Rudania? Ruta was causing trouble for the Zora, so maybe Rudania is causing trouble for the Gorons."

"Makes sense."

"It's a good thing then that we're going to free it," Zelda stated with a determined glint in her eye.

Link was just opening his mouth to reply when Zelda suddenly gasped, pulling the Sheikah Slate back out again and excitedly looking at the map.

"What is it?" Link asked, puzzled but already guessing at what it was.

"We're almost there! Goron City is just around this bend right here!" She exclaimed cheerily, nodding her head towards where the path bent to the right just up ahead. She gave Link an excited smile before quickening her step. Link followed close behind her, both of them soon getting into a run. However, just as Goron City came into view, the volcano suddenly shook before Link could take the sight in.

The shaking was intense, as if Hyrule itself was splitting apart. With the two Hylians now stumbling as the ground continued to tremble, Link reached out for Zelda, the image of him doing the same when Ganon woke flashing in his mind's eye. They both looked upwards, their eyes widening at the volcano which was spewing flaming rocks of lava into the sky.

Link instantly began looking around for someplace to find shelter, spotting a rock outcropping that would provide them just that. Quickly grabbing Zelda's arm, Link pulled her with him until they were both safe just as the flaming rocks smashed into the ground around them like rain.

"What's going on?" Link shouted.

Zelda stared up at Death Mountain, Link following her example, spotting a large silhouette on the side of the volcano. "I think Rudania is causing Death Mountain to erupt!" She yelled in response.

Staying close to Zelda, Link watched with wide eyes as the rocks continued to fall, his heart leaping when he saw a particular boulder growing closer and closer. "Watch out!" He shouted, shoving Zelda out from under the outcropping of rock. He looked up just as the boulder smashed into the outcropping, rock shards beginning to collapse down onto him. Frozen, he didn't move until Zelda grabbed his wrist in a steel grip, pulling him to safety as the outcropping was reduced to a pile of smashed rock.

His feet coming out from under, Link fell onto his stomach just as the rumbling stopped. Zelda quickly helped him back up, looking over at Death Mountain to make sure the eruption had stopped, letting out a sigh when the volcano was dormant. For now, at least.

"Thanks for the save." She said with an almost apologetic smile.

Link smiled back, scratching the back of his head. "Thanks to you too."

Saying nothing more, Link and Zelda got back onto the trail and walked around the bend, getting their first good look at Goron City. It was a small settlement, nearly half as large as Hateno Village. It was built directly below Death Mountain, which had a dark cloud hanging over the volcano peak. The city itself was built mainly with rough metals and rock, with multiple bridges spanning over scattered pools of lava. The buildings were simply hollow giant boulders, carved into a circular shape that reminded Link of pebbles one might find on a river's side, that or a turtle's shell.

Having stopped to take in the view, the two Hylians then continued farther into the city, walking past a Goron with a giant long hammer resting on its shoulder. It had a helmet on, marking it as a guard. Its mouth grew into a large grin when he saw the two Hylians. "Hey! We don't get many visitors! Welcome, brothers!"

"Oh! Um, thank you!" Zelda replied with a surprised smile, and they continued on their way, jumping to the side as a small Goron rolled past them like a self-propelling rock. It rolled on without hesitation, ignoring the two Hylians as it veered around a sharp corner.

Looking around in awe, the two Hylians wandered through the small city, spotting a metal sign shaped like a shirt hanging over the entrance of one of the shell-like buildings. They both walked into the shelter, with a relaxed Goron leaning on a counter. He perked up slightly when Link and Zelda entered but overall kept a calm demeanor.

"Well, would you look at that! Hylians are comin' back." He said with a slow drawl, turning around and grabbing a jumble of metal. He plopped the items on the counter, and with them more spread out, Link could tell that they were two separate sets of armor. It was the Flamebreaker Armor.

"I'm guessin' you two need this, eh? Well, I'll sell it to ya for a reasonable price." The Goron continued, eyeing the small sack by Zelda's hip.

Zelda chuckled nervously, approaching the counter and setting out the 50 rupees that she had managed to grab during the commotion with the Guardian. "I"m sorry sir-Mr.-brother, but this is all we have." She said, stumbling over her words. "Sorry, what do I call you?"

"Ah, I see." The Goron frowned, looking down at the meager pile of rupees before his eyes raised up to Zelda again. "You can call me Rogaro."

"Well um-Rogaro, we had some… troubles up on our way here and lost all of our provisions. Maybe we could make a deal?"

Rogaro hummed in thought, rubbing his round chin as he did so. "I guess. I mean, by the looks of you two I'm guessin' you only had one Fireproof Elixir each, right?" When Zelda nodded, Rogaro continued. "Then I guess you two have no other option unless y'all wanna burn to death, and I'm guessin' you don't wanna do that, huh." He chuckled. "Guess I'll just take these rupees 'ere, and you two can have this armor. We'll work something out later for the rest of the payment."

Zelda's face brightened, and she grabbed one of the sets, while Link took the other, nodding his head in thanks. "Thanks, Rogaro! We'll pay you back with more, I promise!" She exclaimed happily before the two Hylians left the shop.

"Yeah yeah-Oh! Hey, y'all can go into that spare room over there an' change." Rogaro called after them, with Zelda thanking him again before they wandered into the spare home the Goron had told them about.

However, before Link stepped in, he stopped himself. "I'll let you change first." He said hastily, stepping back out and turning away. He heard a light chuckle from Zelda before it was quiet for a moment. She then stepped back out, revealing the sturdy, yet clunky metal armor. It shaped around her body nicely, showing that it was meant for a girl. She pulled her hair behind her ears, grabbing a leather strand and tying it into her hair so that it was in a low ponytail. She then slipped the helmet on, blinking through the thin bars that stretched across her face.

Link smiled, telling her she looked good before entering the spare house himself. It was mostly empty except for a couple of metal crates and pottery. He walked over to one of the larger vases, picking it up and taking a look inside of it. Sitting on the bottom was a single red rupee. Face instantly brightening, Link tried to reach into the vase to grab the lucky find, but his hand wouldn't fit through the opening. He frowned, trying to force his hand in with no avail. He then tried to tip the vase over and shake the rupee out, but it was also too big to fit through the opening.

Turning it back upright and looking inside the vase again, Link contemplated the idea of smashing the pot, but he immediately refused the urge. Zelda would hear, and he was sure she wouldn't be very happy if he shattered someone's property, even if it could help pay off the Flamebreaker Armor. Sighing, Link placed the vase back down onto the ground with the others and proceeded to dress into the armor, keeping only his trousers on. The boots and his Champion's Tunic had to come off, which he placed by the neat pile of Zelda's clothes that were set in the corner of the spare home.

His Flamebreaker Armor was nothing like Zelda's, which looked thin and movable. His was hard and thick, but even though it was loud and clanky, it was still surprisingly flexible and breathable. The material around his knees and elbows was just like the accordion that that bird Kass had way back when with spring-like metal that contracted and extended whenever he moved. Sliding on the helmet and instantly becoming troubled by how much it limited his view, Link stepped out of the Goron home.

Link and Zelda then wandered around the city aimlessly, still moving their arms around experimentally with their new armor. They didn't really know what to do until one particular Goron caught Link's eye. He was obviously extremely old, with a large white beard tied into four different sections. He had an eyepatch over his right eye, and his other was squinted in an elderly fashion. His head was completely bald, and he was scratching it as he was staring off into the distance.

"Who's that?" Link questioned, nudging Zelda.

Zelda turned to look at the old, wrinkly Goron. "Probably a good place to start if we want to cleanse the Divine Beast here. He looks like someone who knows a few things." She said.

Link nodded. "Most likely."

And with that they approached the elder Goron, who suddenly cried out in anger, shaking both of his fists as he stomped the ground with his comically tiny feet. "Drat! That blasted Rudania!" He exclaimed, trembling in anger.

Zelda took hold of the conversation, quickly getting over her surprise of the Goron's outburst. "What's wrong?" She asked politely.

The old Goron seemed to calm down slightly as he answered. "With Rudania runnin' wild recently, Death Mountain's eruptions have gotten real bad." He explained in a tired tone. "Do ya see Rudania stompin' around up there on the mountain?"

The two Hylians gazed up at the volcano, eyes widening as they saw a giant mechanical lizard crawling along the slanted peak, swinging its massive tail to keep balance. That had been the silhouette they had seen earlier. The behemoth was even more impressive up close.

The Goron continued. "They say that 100 years ago it actually used to protect our people from harm… but that was then, and this is now! Now, all it does is mess up our mining operations! We're all suffering because it's stoppin' us from doin' business!" He sighed. "I can't tell ya how many times we've used the canon to chase off that fiend." He then suddenly gritted his teeth, his massive hands curling into fists. "But it always comes back!" He shouted, stomping his feet once more.

Suddenly, a loud crack emanated from his back, causing the Goron to tense in pain and then relax with a groan. "Youch… owwwowow…" He mumbled.

Zelda reached out her hands as if to help the elder Goron, her face contorted with worry. "Are you okay?" She asked hurriedly.

"Hmph, it's just some back pain…" He replied tiredly, rubbing his back. His eyes then widened slightly, and he brought his hand back up to his bald head, scratching it in confusion. "Wait. Who are you?"

"We're travelers." Link said, stepping forward slightly.

The elder Goron nodded. "I see… So, then, you came all this way to pay your respects to me? I like you two already, brothers!" His hand fell away from his head, and he nodded again with more enthusiasm. "Well, my name's Bludo." He said firmly, his rough low voice almost rattling Link's bones. "I'm the great Goron Boss who's fearsome enough to silence a crying child! Or to make a silenced child cry, either way."

Link smiled a bit at the last comment, but Bludo didn't seem to notice. Zelda did though, and she elbowed Link in worry of offending the Goron Boss.

"Yes, it is none other than I, Bludo!" He stated proudly, "I was planning on driving off Rudania like I always do, but then this blasted pain in my back flared up outta nowhere…" His voice trailed away, and he scratched his bald, spotted head once more. "That blasted Yunobo… When will he return?" He mumbled.

"Who's Yunobo?" Zelda asked promptly, her hands clasped behind her back to seem more polite.

Bludo's hand fell away from his scalp. "Yunobo is a young Goron who helps me drive off Rudania." The Goron Boss than turned, gesturing towards the north. "He went to grab some painkillers for my back from the Abandoned North Mine, but he hasn't come back yet… Slacker… I bet he's off somewhere wastin' time…" Bludo murmured, scratching his head again. It seemed to be a habit.

"Hey… If ya happen to see Yunobo, will ya let him know I'm lookin' for him?" Bludo then asked, mainly focusing his attention to Link.

Link simply nodded his head as his answer.

Bludo the straightened slightly when his back gave out a loud crack. The Goron Chief groaned and slumped his shoulders, rubbing his back as he mumbled in pain. Zelda's smile turned sympathetic.

"We'll find Yunobo for you." She said.

The old Boss groaned again and waved his hand in the air with the two Hylians promptly leaving. They traveled northward where Bludo had directed. Zelda had her Sheikah Slate out, and she was zooming in on the Abandoned Mine.

"Why do you think it's abandoned?" She asked, mostly perhaps to herself.

"Maybe because of monsters?" Link suggested.

Zelda frowned. "When has our quest ever not been filled with monsters?" She said bitterly.

Link chuckled. "Would it be called a quest if it wasn't filled with monsters?"

Zelda rolled her eyes, but she didn't say anything else as they traveled up a slight incline. They rounded around a bend, traveling along a cliff. Link suddenly stopped Zelda, however, as he pointed to a strange circular creature with a rock on top of its head. It had small beady eyes that slightly glowed like the lava that surrounded them, and it was colored a dull blue-gray.

"What's that?" Link inquired. Zelda usually had the answers, which made him forget that Zelda had also experienced just as much memory loss as he had.

Zelda raised an eyebrow at the creature. "Probably a monster."

"Alright, well… how do we kill it then?"

Zelda waved her Sheikah Slate in the air. "I've got something that might help." She said cheekily, selecting the Remote Bomb rune when a sudden blue flash emanated from the Slate, revealing a glowing blue circular bomb that rested in her hands. It was about the size of her head, with blue strands drifting from its surface. Link stared at it, not having gotten a good look at it before when she had used it against the Guardian. And it might have been his imagination, but he had thought they were square-shaped. When did they suddenly become round?

Zelda looked up and stepped towards the Octorok. "Hopefully this will work." She said simply before facing the balloon monster. It jumped when it spotted her, it's small mouth suddenly tripling in size as it began to suck in enormous amounts of air. Zelda then threw her bomb towards the creature, ready to detonate it as the monster sucked the bomb into its mouth. It seemed puzzled for a moment when Zelda clicked a button on the Slate, promptly blowing up the monster from the inside. She smiled triumphantly as she spun around.

"Sheikah tech!" She exclaimed excitedly, holding up her arms in victory. Link laughed.

"You ought to use that more often!" He said.

Zelda nodded, clipping the Slate onto her hip. "I better."

The two Hylians then continued, with Zelda destroying a couple more Octoroks when they finally arrived at the Abandoned North Mine.

The mine certainly looked abandoned, except for the fact that a single Goron was standing guard near the entrance. He carried a hammer similar to that of the first Goron they had seen on his shoulder, with a hard metal cap resting on his head. He raised an eyebrow as he caught sight of the Hylians.

"Yeesh!" He cried, "What's goin' on today?! So many peeeople out and about!" Instantly Link could tell that this Goron, in particular, wasn't the brightest to ever live, as he spoke with a lazy drawl that was worse than that of Rogaro, and he could already tell that it tended to drag out a few words in his speech. "You should know it gets much hotter past here, and there are also looots of monsters. It's reeeally dangerous!" The Goron warned.

Zelda ignored the warning. "Do you know anyone named Yunobo?" She asked, instantly getting to the point.

"Why's a stranger like yoooou askin' about Yunobo?" The Goron snapped.

"Boss wants to know." Link answered.

The Goron instantly reacted, his legs spread wide as he crouched in shock. "Huuuuh?! Boss does?!" He exclaimed, "Well… Then I guess I better tell you wheeeeere Yunobo is!" He then turned completely around, pointing up to a distant rock structure far in the mine. "Yunobo went to the vault to fetch some painkillers. But now that ya mention it, I suppooooose he never came back." He turned back around. "This place is daaaaangerous, so ya probably shouldn't go lookin' for him."

"I'm sure we'll be alright." Zelda reassured the Goron, giving him a smile for good measure.

The Goron's brow furrowed in thought as he looked over the two Hylians, before his face broke out into a smile. "I suppooose you're right!" He agreed happily. "Well then, have fuuuuun in the miiine!" He drawled on, just as Link and Zelda walked past him.

However, as they came further into the mine, they quickly realized that getting to Yunobo was going to be harder than they initially thought. Separating the three Hylians from the vault was a large lake of lava, with multiple small islands poking up here and there, each holding a camp of monsters. It wasn't hard to come to the conclusion that the mine had been abandoned for a reason.

**And there you have it! I'll be sure to get chapter fourteen up as soon as possible, although I want to get another little one-shot completed and published too as I'm almost done with that. By the way, if you haven't yet, please check out my new collection! It would be much appreciated!**

**See y'all in a bit! (Hopefully)**

**By the way, the oneshot that I have in the works is not Breath of the Wild! ;)**


	14. Yunobo

***slams head onto keyboard* It's finally published, oh my Hylia-**

Link and Zelda stared into the Abandoned North Mine, wondering how in Hylia's name they were supposed to get across, especially with the multiple monster camps that were scattered across the islands in the lava. Link was hopelessly trying to think up of a solution to their problem. Maybe they could try sneaking past the monsters? No, that wouldn't work. The islands were too flat and provided little to no shelter. Perhaps they could charge in using the runes on the Sheikah Slate? No, they would get themselves killed doing that.

Before Link could think of another possible solution, however, Zelda nudged him and pointed to a giant black, metal cannon situated on top of a large, flat boulder. "That might be useful." She offered, a side smile prominent on her face.

Link turned and looked at the cannon, his face instantly lighting up. "So that's what Bludo was talking about when he mentioned a cannon." He said, jogging towards the contraption. Just as he stepped onto the boulder, however, the Goron guard turned and shrieked in horror.

"HEY! Stooop that! That's Boss's Cannon! Don't you daaare touch that lever!" He shouted, eyes wide.

Link glanced over his shoulder for a moment at the Goron, before taking out his rusted weapon and swinging it at the giant standing lever that stood just a ways from the cannon itself. However, as his sword whacked at the lever, the blade shattered instantly, showering Link in rust and the fragmented metal shards. He looked at the rest of his sword that remained, (which was just the hilt,) in disdain. The lever hadn't budged.

Zelda couldn't help but let out a laugh, which she quickly stifled when Link shot her a look. She walked up to the lever, ignoring the Goron's shouts to stop and pressing her body against the lever. It took a second before the lever even began to budge, clicking over finally after a lot of effort from Zelda.

The entire machine then began to turn, slowly aiming itself in an entirely new direction, which was directed at two short towers with Lizalfos standing on top off to their left. Link and Zelda looked over at the Goron to see his reaction, but he just simply sighed in defeat, not saying anything as he turned the other way, his back tense.

Zelda turned her attention to Link, the side smile back on her face. Except now it looked more like a smirk to Link. "I guess it's good that your sword there decided to break now and not later against a monster." She said. Link could tell that she was holding back laughter.

He sighed and tossed the hilt of the sword left to the side, feeling once again bare and helpless without a weapon. "Well, I guess the giant, convenient cannons here will have to do." He said with a slight joking demeanor about him.

Zelda let out a soft giggle before they both turned their attention back to the cannon. After a moment of thought, Zelda let out a wordless exclamation and pulled out the Sheikah Slate, summoning a round remote bomb without hesitation. Link caught on to her idea instantly and couldn't help but smile in excitement as she rolled the ball into the chute before it disappeared into the machine. The two Hylians then took a step back, Zelda covering her ears as she detonated the bomb.

Instantly, a giant explosive rock went shooting out of the cannon with a thunderous boom. The large projectile sailed through the air, colliding with the two towers and destroying them in an instant. The Lizalfos never stood a chance.

Both Link and Zelda let out an excited cheer, quickly making their way to the next cannon that was below them on a separate flat island. They hurriedly traveled along a thin trail of rock that stretched to the cannon itself, the excitement allowing Link to momentarily forget the burning heat from the nearby lava.

Once they arrived at the cannon, Link pushed the lever this time and Zelda loaded up the machine once it was facing the next camp of monsters that stood in their way. With another explosion eradicating the camp, Link and Zelda continued, climbing up onto the raised section of rock in which the monsters had claimed as their home before getting blown to bits.

As they stepped through the ruins, however, the flash of sunlight against metal caught Link's attention. He turned and saw a metal bow lying on the ground, half-covered in debris. His grin widened as he picked up the weapon, examining it closely. It was made up of spiked, jagged metal, giving it an overall crude appearance. He then experimentally pulled on the string, surprised by how well it sprung back into place when he let go. He immediately felt relieved and confident now that a weapon was back in his hands, spotting and picking up a rather convenient quiver of fire arrows from one of the Lizalfos that had just been killed and situated the weapons onto his back. Zelda noticed his newly acquired items and gave him a smile before they continued on their way.

They soon found themselves at the edge of the raised rock they had just walked across, looking down onto a low stretch of land with another cannon situated in the middle of it, which was where they needed to go next. The only problem was the lava that separated them from that land. It looked to be jumping distance, but the heat that radiated from the magma did nothing to soothe Link's fear.

He crept to the edge of the rock, grimacing as the lava popped and churned lazily. The only way across was to jump, and he was sure he would make it, but he still hesitated. Zelda obviously felt the same way, with Link hearing her gulp beside him. They looked up at each other, Zelda letting out a nervous laugh.

"Usually the polite thing would be to let ladies first, but…" She trailed away, glancing warily back down at the lava.

Link knew she meant the statement as a joke, but still, his stomach churned in fear at the thought of jumping first. However, he didn't want Zelda to be first either and fail, so he backed up and prepared himself for the leap. Zelda's eyes immediately widened and she hurriedly backed up as well.

"Wait, I didn't actually mean it!"

Link chuckled despite himself. "Maybe we can go together?" He offered.

Zelda nodded.

The two Hylians then situated themselves and charged towards the ledge after a steady countdown. Right as Link reached the cliff, he pushed off with all of his strength and leaped into the air, Zelda mimicking his movements. She let out an involuntary yelp as they soared through the air before they both landed harshly on the rock below. Link had landed on his feet and then tripped, landing on his stomach, while Zelda wasn't nearly as graceful. She stumbled on her feet and tumbled, rolling almost halfway across the rock before finding herself on her behind.

Link quickly stood and hurried after her, helping her stand as she gathered her bearings. "I hate this place." She stated darkly before they both continued towards the next cannon. She didn't even bother brushing off the dirt that had now caked on her metal armor. Not that her hands, which were also covered with metal, would be much help in the matter.

Once they got to the cannon Zelda summoned another bomb and rolled it into the machine, and with a simple click and turn of the lever, they destroyed another camp of monsters, before turning the cannon again and doing the same to another. They traveled on, climbing up another raised section of rock, hiking through the ruined camps, and then jumping down to another cannon. The process was repetitive, and they destroyed too many camps of monsters to count, but it was effective.

However, they soon came to a steep incline, where the vault stood proudly on top. Excitement fueling their stamina, the two Hylians raced up the incline, only to find shiny orange rock blocking the entrance to the vault and a muffled voice shouting fearfully inside.

"Help! I can't get out!" It cried, sounding pitchy and squeaky like a child's. Zelda and Link hurried to the rock, Zelda putting her ear to it as the voice continued to panic.

"Hold on! We'll get you out!" She shouted.

The voice went quiet for a moment before it returned with renewed vigor. "Hurry!" It squeaked.

And with that, the two Hylians turned and hurried away towards a cannon that was conveniently placed on a slab of land down below. Once they were there Link pushed the lever and Zelda loaded the machine with a bomb, and with a single push of a button, the cannon rocketed its deadly projectile directly into the vault.

Once they managed to climb back up to the simple stone building, Link and Zelda found a young cowering Goron inside with a strange, glowing orange shield surrounding its entire body. It slowly faded from existence as the Goron began to mumble.

"Oh man, oh man, oh man…What am I gonna do?" He whimpered, obviously a male. However, it was hard to believe that was the case. His voice was high and timid, like that of a scared mouse.

The young Goron than slowly turned, suddenly panicking once he caught sight of the Hylains. "Monsters!" He shrieked, beginning to run wildly in circles. "They're here! They found me! Help!" He continued to run and panic until he suddenly stopped, turning to take another look at Link and Zelda. He seemed to calm down, although he was still breathing hard. He had beady blue eyes and white thick hair curled down his forehead, with a quivering mouth that was sucking in large amounts of air. He had a blue bandana wrapped around his shoulders, identical to the same blue that colored Link's Champion's Tunic.

"Wait a minute… Now that I've gotten a better look… those are Hylians!" The Goron mumbled to himself, raising his voice when Link and Zelda stepped forward cautiously, hoping he wouldn't go on another panicked rampage. "Were you two the ones who broke through that crag to rescue me, goro? Thanks, brothers!" The Goron said happily, not bothering to wait for an answer. His grin fell away from his face as he spoke again. "But what brought you two all the way out here to begin with?" He asked.

"Well, we're here looking for Yunobo," Zelda explained, the look in her eye questioning if this Goron before them was Yunobo himself.

The young mountain-dweller smiled again. "Oh! So that's it! Boss told you to come and find me! Phew, thank goodness. In any case, I sure am glad you saved me, goro! The name's Yunobo. Everyone calls me… Yunobo. Makes sense, goro." He said, stumbling over his words with a shaky grin on his face.

Zelda smiled warmly at the young Goron. "Nice to meet you Yunobo." She greeted, holding her hand out for him to shake. When he simply gave her a puzzled look with even a glint of fear in his beady eyes, Zelda awkwardly brought her hand back to her side and continued the conversation. "So, um… Yunobo, how did you get in here with that rock blocking the entrance?"

The young Goron clasped his giant hands around his front, holding them together in a position that didn't exactly project dominance. "I came to get some painkillers for Boss, but a magma bomb caused a rock slide, sealing the entrance, goro." He answered. "Speaking of, how did you break those rocks?"

"We used a cannon. I hope you don't mind." Zelda said with a guilty smile.

Yunobo reared back in surprise. "Huh? You used Boss' Cannon?!" He exclaimed, quickly recollecting himself. "That thing is so difficult to use. I thought only Boss could handle it!" He then seemed to remember something, as his eyes suddenly widened. "Oh! Sorry, I've gotta run! But do come by and see the Boss later, okay? He may be gruff, but he always repays a favor. I'm sure there's a reward in it for you. Okay then! Good-bye for now, goro!" He said hurriedly, rushing past them and suddenly curling into a ball, rolling down the rocky hill and out of sight.

The two Hylians stared where Yunobo had rolled away, both of them not wanting to take the initiative to travel back. After a moment of silence, it was Zelda who then urged Link forward. "Well, let's get going then." She said.

Link agreed, still surprised by the Goron's anxious, hurried manner about him, and they both started down the hill with the bright noon-day sun pounding down on the metal that covered their backs.

They quickly arrived back in Goron City, walking back up to the Goron Boss, Bludo. He grinned heartily when he caught sight of them. "Ah! It's the tiny travelers!" He exclaimed, stroking his thick beard. "Yunobo told me all about how you two helped him, brothers. Now I would have a reward for ya, but I think freeing Yunobo was its own reward. What say you, brothers?" He asked cheerily, not letting them respond as he pressed on. "Okay then. Well, I took my painkillers, so I guess it's time to meet up with Yunobo. I mean no disrespect to Daruk's legacy, but if I'm not there to give that Rudania a good walloping…" The old Goron trailed away, letting the sentence finish itself.

Link and Zelda's attention spiked however once Bludo mentioned the Goron Champion's name, forgetting their initial disappointment at not receiving a reward. It seemed that Yunobo had been wrong when he had said that the Boss 'always repaid a favor'. "Daruk?" Zelda inquired, both her and Link hopeful for more information about their pasts.

Bludo's eyes widened. "Are ya really tellin' me ya don't know about Daruk? The Goron Champion?!" He then calmed, pointing up to a large rock carving the size of the entirety of Goron City. "See that statue up there? That's Daruk!" He cried.

The two Hylians turned towards the statue, gazing up at the large Goron that towered above the city. His hand was pointed outwards in a triumphant pose, with three smaller Goron's faces underneath him

Link stared at the statue, the clanking and rumbling sounds of Goron City fading as he continued to look over the roughly carved sculpture. His vision seemed to tunnel, and he felt the world crumbling away as his mind suddenly tumbled into darkness.

"_Yeah!" Daruk cried, laughing heartily as his lizard-like Divine Beast stomped around Death Mountain, it's heavy tail swinging with all the might of the Ancient Sheikah tribe. "I think I'm finally getting the hang of controlling this Divine Beast!" The Goron Champion crowed happily, with Vah Rudania stopping and lifting its head, letting out a gurgling type roar that shook the entire mechanic, and seemingly the entire mountain. _

_Daruk then began to stretch his arms out, leaning from side to side while he continued to talk. "I tell you what… Sure is a blast piloting this thing around." He turned to Link, a wide yet competitive grin on his face. "Let those other Champions know, they better eat their gravel is they wanna keep up with Daruk." He then looked away, his eyes drifting across the mountains and rocks that surrounded them. _

"_Speaking of which, can you believe this view?" He asked. Link looked out across the barren rocks, inwardly deciding that he'd rather looked out across a wide, green open field, or a lush wild forest, or perhaps even a glistening lake then the bland view before him. But, he kept those opinions to himself as the Goron Champion rambled on. _

"_Just look at all those delectable rocks sprinkled on those mountains… mighty tasty." He proclaimed happily. Link rolled his eyes when he knew Daruk wasn't watching, allowing himself a small smile as the Goron looked after the rocks with a hungry glint in his eye. He always found it funny how the Goron's could eat rocks, as it was painfully obvious that Hylians did not have the same appetite. _

_The Goron Champion then began to speak again, slowly tearing his eyes away from the view to rest back on Link. "I may not know a whole lot about this Calamity Ganon thing…" He began, catching Link off guard from the sudden subject change. "But mark my words, I'll protect this land of ours to the death!" He stated proudly, bringing up his giant hand into the air, his large grin somehow growing wider. "Right, little guy?" He cried, slamming his hand onto Link's back, throwing Link forward as he grunted from the sudden force. _

_The cheery Goron then roared in laughter, quickly quieting down. "Hey, by the way… congrats on becoming the Princess' appointed knight. That's a really big deal! Protecting the King's daughter… No pressure." He chuckled, resting his hand on Link's back again, with Link instantly tensing up from the previous, hearty 'pat' on the back. _

_Daruk continued, lifting his giant hand away. "Seriously, though. The Princess is a strong personality-so strong that she can't quite see the range for the peaks. Remember that, and you'll be fine." _

_Just then a sudden intense trembling began, coming directly from Death Mountain. "What the-?!" Daruk sputtered, both him and Link struggling to stay on their feet as the trembling grew worse. A thunderous crack sounded from above them, and Daruk spun around, gasping when he saw large boulders falling from a rock overhang above them. Link's face paled as he watched the boulders tumble towards them, and he ducked his head when Daruk cried out, smashing his fists together just as the boulder smashed into something, promptly becoming harmless, jagged bits of stone._

_Link slowly raised his head, seeing the familiar orange hue of Daruk's ethereal shield. It glimmered around them for a moment before slowly fading. Daruk then casually turned to Link. "Alright, now what was I saying…" He trailed off, bringing his gaze back to Death Mountain. Link followed suit. _

"_That was a little strange…" The Goron Champion muttered, "As far as I know, Death Mountain has been quiet for decades. But if the mountain is shivering enough to send down a bunch of boulders that size, then-" He quickly cut himself off, shaking his head. "Nevermind. Forget I said anything." He finished, looking up at Death Mountain with a furrowed brow. Link glanced at the Goron before mimicking his movements, his stomach churning with dread at the mysterious words Daruk had said. He made a mental note to tell Zelda of this incident the moment he reunited with her. _

Link's eyes shot open, and he stumbled backward as he gasped, bumping into Zelda as he did so. He spun around and she quickly took his hand, calming him. She looked over Link, noticing his pale face and wide eyes. She then gave him a knowing look, even nodding, letting him know that she understood what had just occurred in his head.

Bludo blinked a couple of times before his gruff voice caused Link to turn around and step back, rather embarrassed. "...What's gotten into you?" He asked roughly, stomping his foot. When no response came from either of the Hylians, the Goron Chief continued. "Hylians sure are strange…" He mumbled, "Anyway, Yunobo is actually a descendant of the great Daruk. That's why the slacker can even use Daruk's Protection!"

A tremor ran through Link's thoughts, and his eyes widened slightly at those words. _Daruk's Protection… _He thought to himself, picturing the unique ability in his mind, both when Daruk and Yunobo had used it.

"He uses it to protect himself when we fire him at Rudania." Bludo continued, "That's the only way we can chase that blasted beast away. We have no choice because normal cannonballs are no good against him." Bludo then nodded, his voice becoming much more firm and authoritative. "Alright, that's enough outta me. Time to go drive off Rudania!" Immediately a loud, jarring crack sounded again from Bludo's back, causing him to tense in pain. "Oww… Arghh…I'm afraid I won't be goin' anywhere today." The Goron Chief muttered in a low tone, the previous leader-type atmosphere long gone. "I hate to put you on the spot, but… can ya please go tell Yunobo that I'm gonna have to cancel for today? He should be at Eldin Bridge." Bludo instructed, rubbing his back.

Zelda and Link nodded. They began to walk away, with Zelda pulling up the map on her Sheikah Slate to find the bridge Bludo had named. She spotted it, pointing it out to Link who nodded in understanding before she brought the Sheikah Slate back down to her side, not putting it away just yet.

"I guess we came at the right time." Link said after a while as they traveled out of the city to get to the bridge.

"I guess we did. I feel bad for Bludo though."

Link nodded. "Well, he can't really do much about his age."

Zelda shrugged. "I still feel bad for him."

"Fair enough."

Silence fell between the two as they walked, both Link and Zelda thinking about whatever crossed their minds. Link kept his eyes to the ground, his mind running over the memories of Daruk that continued to spawn in his head. He looked over at a flat boulder, remembering the time Daruk had shown off his strength by whacking his large, metal hammer into a similar-looking rock 100 years ago. The boulder had completely shattered, leaving nothing behind but dust. When Link had tried with a sword he had found lying around Goron City on a different rock, the blade had shattered instead. Link couldn't help but smile at the short memory, although it was tainted with grief. Zelda soon caught on to Link's somber state, and she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"So you remember him?" She asked softly.

Link replied even though he already knew Zelda knew the answer. "Yes…I mainly remember when we were on Rudania together, and I was helping him learn how to control it. I remember… I remember shoving him onto the Divine Beast and locking him in there once, not letting him out until he got better control of it." Link chuckled, the small laughter falling short as he looked up at the threatening Divine Beast as it slowly stalked around Death Mountain. It looked as if the great mechanic was on a rampage, blindly circling the volcano as it mourned the loss of its master.

Smiling, Zelda chuckled in return, her hand sliding off of Link's shoulder. "Hopefully I can remember him too… soon." She said wistfully.

"You'll remember in time." Link said comfortingly.

Soon afterward they arrived at a rather troubling scene. Yunobo was cowering near a cannon while three Moblins roared and waved their clubs at the young Goron. However, the Moblins would never reach him as he was using Daruk's Protection, trembling in fear as the monsters continued to assault him.

Link instantly jumped into the action, stringing a fire arrow and letting it loose towards one of the Moblins, striking it in the shoulder, causing it to cry out in agony as it spun angrily. The other two Moblins turned as well, each of them letting out a thunderous roar before stalking towards the two Hylians.

Link quickly realized just how stupid it was to take on the three Moblins all at once, but it was too late to reprimand himself. He quickly strung another arrow and shot the Moblin with the other arrow already in its shoulder in the head, just as Zelda summoned a remote bomb and threw it at one of the other monsters, detonating it and making the beast get thrown off of the ground and into a lake of lava. She then turned and froze the third monster, just as the Moblin Link was attacking crumbled to the ground, lifeless, arrows protruding from its body in gruesome angles.

The Moblin encased in the statis broke free almost instantly, charging Zelda. She gasped and quickly summoned another bomb, chucking it at the Moblin and exploding it right as it made contact with the creature's grainy flesh. The force of the explosion was enough to knock the monster off of its feet, but not enough to end its life as Zelda had done to the other. However, before the lanky monster could get back onto its feet, it was met with a face full of arrows, killing it immediately thanks to Link.

Zelda and Link's faces broke out into large grins, with Zelda immediately praising Link for his quick aiming skills. Link rebutted the compliment, saying that Zelda was just as fast as him with the Sheikah Slate. Their praise was soon cut short, however, as Yunobo lumbered towards them.

"Wow! You're both so strong, goro!" He cried, his face shining in awe, Daruk's Protection long gone. "You saved me again!"

Link's face flushed slightly in embarrassment. He rubbed the back of his neck while looking away, leaving the task of talking to Zelda. "Are you alright then, Yunobo?" She asked with a bright smile, obviously enjoying the praise from the young Goron.

Yunobo nodded enthusiastically before his smile faltered just a bit. "Um… Where's Boss, goro? We were supposed to get Rudania away from the city." He said with a hint of nervousness.

"Well… Boss couldn't make it. He isn't coming." Zelda explained.

"Huh? Not coming? But why?"

"His back hurts again." She said with a hint of pity.

Yunobo gripped his head, crying out in frustration. "After all of the trouble we went through…The painkillers didn't even work?!" He then settled down slightly, looking defeated. "Well, if Boss isn't coming, then I guess there's nothing we can do, goro."

"Actually… we need to board Rudania." Zelda said hesitantly, unsure of how the young Goron would react.

Yunobo simply furrowed his brow in thought. "Well… there's one problem if you want to get to the Divine Beast." He nodded his head towards the Eldin Bridge, which was standing completely vertical on the opposite side of a wide river of lava. "Good ol' Boss raised the Bridge of Eldin to make sure that mean Divine Beast couldn't get over here. And the only way to lower it is to use the cannon, and we can't do that without the Boss."

Link looked up at the large, impressive bridge wondering how in Hyrule it was standing straight up and balancing on the edge of the rock. It had a large sculpture of Daruk's face plastered onto it, made out of metal, of course. "We can use the cannon." Zelda offered, tearing Link's eyes away from the magnificent bridge.

Yunobo's face lit up. "Oh, that's right, goro!" He then excitedly ran over to the cannon, waiting for the two Hylians to catch up with him. "You fire the cannon, and I'll be the cannonball!"

Zelda glanced nervously at Link. "Are you sure?"

"I've got Daruk's Protection, goro! My ancestor's help can't possibly fail me! That means I can smash into anything and it won't hurt one bit!" Yunobo explained, summoning the shield around him even as he spoke. And without another word, he launched himself into the air, landing with a thump into the cannon. Link then got up to the cannon and shoved the lever, aiming it right at the great bridge.

With a quick nod from Link signaling that everything was ready, Zelda summoned a bomb and placed it into the cannon, counting down from three and exploding it once she reached zero. Yunobo instantly shot out, flying towards the bridge with a yell. He collided into the metal, bouncing back onto the rock near the cannon. The bridge rocked back from the force of the impact before falling forward, gaining speed until it smacked onto the rock, creating a way to get across the lava.

Yunobo staggered onto his feet, swaying dizzily. "We did it…" He said shakily, a dazed, lopsided grin on his face. "See that, goro… If we put our heads together…anything is possible!"

The two Hylians then hurried to Yunobo, with Zelda steadying him. He shook his head like a dog, his eyes soon becoming focused. "Daruk's Protection is something else, isn't it?" He said proudly. "Now then, let's get across that bridge, goro!" He exclaimed, leading them onto the metal.

They had just made it onto the other side of the river when Divine Beast Vah Rudania, who was just above them, suddenly cried out with its strange gurgling roar, different circular sections opening up on its back. Strange little devices then flew out with furiously spinning blades slicing the air to keep them bobbing above the ground. They flew to different sections of the treacherous path that snaked up Death Mountain, stationing themselves at specific intervals. Once they settled, a beam of light shot out from underneath them before forming into a pink spotlight that illuminated a clear circle onto the ground.

Yunobo then stopped, looking around at the little contraptions that hovered along the path. "Oh… Yikes… Sentries are always a nuisance, no matter where it is or how many of them are." He said worriedly.

"Sentries?" Link asked, eyeing the little devices warily.

Yunobo nodded. "If one finds you, Rudania will go nuts, which will cause Death Mountain to erupt, goro."

"So they're like extra sets of eyes for the Divine Beast… that is fascinating." Zelda said quietly, her eyes sparkling in awe.

Yunobo's eyes widened. "Fascinating? No, it's not, goro! I… I always get spotted, and then magma bombs come raining down one after another." He said despairingly. "If Boss were here, he'd swat those magma bombs away like they were nothin' and force his way up!"

"I don't think we can really do that." Link said quietly with a smirk, mainly to Zelda only.

"We can always just sneak around the sentries, it wouldn't be that hard since they can't hear." Zelda offered.

Yunobo groaned. "I'm too clumsy to sneak around, goro." He muttered.

"Don't worry. We'll tell you when to move if that makes you feel better. Besides, I'm sure there's a way to render them useless." Zelda said encouragingly.

Yunobo thought for a long moment before his face broke out into a large grin and he nodded. "Ok, then. Let's hope we aren't spotted!"

And with that, the small group set out along the path, quickly encountering their first sentry. It was moving slowly across a section of the path, flying back and forth. There was a large rock overhang over the path, however, that the sentry simply passed over.

Link and Zelda quickly took the lead, following close behind the sentry as it moved away from them. They stopped underneath the overhang, letting Yunobo squeeze in underneath by them. The sentry flew over their heads the way it had come, the overhang blocking the light from finding them. They then sprinted out from underneath the rock, leaving the sentry far behind as they continued along their way.

Yunobo smiled brightly. "That wasn't so bad!" He exclaimed happily.

"See? We have nothing to worry about." Zelda said confidently just as they came to their next obstacle. The sentry ahead of them was staying in a singular spot on the narrow path, which was simply a ledge along a cliff which led far, far down to perishable lava. There was no way around it, and yet Link spotted a high ledge directly next to the sentry itself. He instantly began to climb up, finding a movable boulder sitting just on the edge directly above the sentry. He allowed himself a smile of victory before pushing the boulder, promptly smashing the sentry and exploding it into bits.

He then climbed back down, with Zelda and Yunobo excitedly praising him. He shrugged the compliments off, saying that it was all just convenient. Zelda rolled her eyes at his humble attitude, while Yunobo only became more amazed by the Hylian.

They continued, soon coming to another cannon, and with a few words exchanged Yunobo leaped into the destructive machine with Daruk's Protection circling around him. Zelda summoned a remote bomb while Link aimed the large weapon, before firing the young Goron directly at Vah Rudania which towered above them on Death Mountain.

The hit was right on, causing the Divine Beast to release another roar before stomping further away from them. Yunobo bounced onto the ground a ways away, shaking away his temporary dizziness before cheering enthusiastically.

The traveling then continued, with multiple sentries getting destroyed with either one of Zelda's bombs, Link's fire arrows, or a couple of times even a metal crate being controlled from the peculiar Magnesis rune on the Sheikah Slate by Zelda. They only had to sneak past one of the pesky sentries once.

They arrived at another cannon which they quickly used, forcing Rudania farther up the volcano even as they spiraled up the path closer to the peak. They spoke a lot as they traveled, with Yunobo being the person who spoke the most.

"So why do you two want to board the Divine Beast so bad, goro?" He asked as he lumbered beside them.

Zelda and Link exchanged glances. "Well… you know how it used to be controlled by the Champion Daruk?" Zelda asked.

"The Great Daruk? Of course! Rudania wasn't always so mean, goro."

Zelda nodded. "Right, so now we need to get inside there and make it… nice again." She explained vaguely, keeping out the fact that she was the Princess of Hyrule and Link the Hylian Champion just to keep things simpler for the young Goron.

"Oh, I see… So there is something controlling it, and you two are going to get rid of it?"

Zelda nodded again. "Exactly."

Yunobo went silent for a moment, obviously mulling Zelda's answers over in his head. "Makes sense, goro." He finally said. "You two are nice for doing this."

Link and Zelda exchanged awkward smiles. "Yeah, we're just trying to help Hyrule," Zelda said with a nervous chuckle, which Yunobo didn't pick up on.

"Yeah… wow…" Yunobo trailed away, his eyes sparkling in admiration.

The threesome continued, with the sentries posing no threat as they were easy to get rid of, and as they came across the third cannon they found four Moblins standing guard around the weapon. They were separated into two's on either side of the cannon, with all of them wielding a variety of weapons. One had a metal club, one with a rusty looking sword, and another with a spear. The fourth, however, had nothing but its bare hands. It looked like their luck of making things easy had come to an end.

The two Hylians and the young Goron crouched low behind a boulder, peeking over the rock to get a better look at the monsters. Yunobo whimpered quietly. "This is all on you two, goro." He whispered timidly, ducking behind the boulder and covering his head with his hands.

Link and Zelda exchanged worried glances. How could they take four on at once? Then Zelda let out a surprised gasp and elbowed Link. When he looked over she pointed out two metal crates that she could us her Magnesis on. Link smiled and nodded, pulling out his bow and stringing an arrow. "Alright. You take the two closest to the metal crates there, and I'll take the other two who are farther away." Link whispered, pointing to the monsters as he did so.

Zelda nodded, a determined look on her face and she prepared the rune. They both took a deep breath, and with another quick nod, Link pulled back on the string and let the arrow fly, piercing the Moblin wielding the spear in the chest with a fire arrow. The monster let out a pain-filled roar, alerting the others just as Zelda snatched a metal crate with her Magnesis and flung it at the Moblin with the rusted sword, knocking the weapon out of its hand as it tumbled down the volcano and out of sight.

Link lept out from behind the boulder, stringing another arrow and piercing the other Moblin without a weapon in the stomach. The two Moblins, both with one arrow sticking out of each, both roared in mighty anger and began to advance on Link, tearing the projectiles out of their flesh and discarding them. Link hastily strung another arrow, but the two monsters were advancing too quickly, not giving Link enough time to raise his bow and take the shot. He began to step back just as a metal crate suddenly slammed into the two monsters, sending the one with the spear flying off of the cliff and knocking the other onto the ground.

However, the crate was destroyed by the impact, and as Zelda came near Link, the Moblin on the ground stood and stomped its hideous feet, letting out a thunderous cry of fury. Zelda immediately froze the Moblin with her statis rune, the roar cutting off. Link wasted no time, raising his bow and striking the beast directly in between the eyes just as it broke free from the stasis. The Moblin froze for just a second after, before its beady eyes rolled into the back of its head and it slumped to the ground, lifeless.

Link and Zelda both smiled in victory, scanning the area to see if there were any more threats. The two Moblins who hadn't been knocked off of the cliff were both limply lying on the ground, rendering them dead. After making sure they were truly gone, Link lowered his bow and put it away, just as Zelda clipped the Slate back onto her hip.

Yunobo then ran over to them, praising them with a large grin on his face. "You all were amazing, goro!"

Zelda smiled. "Thank you, Yunobo." Her and Link then looked at each other, their smiles growing. The memory of when they had faced a Bokoblin for the first time on the Great Plateau flashed through Link's mind, and he couldn't help but let out a little chuckle. It was amazing to think of just how far they had come.

The young Goron then proceeded to jump into the cannon snapping Link out of his memories, and not a moment later they shot him at Rudania. The Divine Beast cried out, swinging it's massive tail as it shook its head in large waving motions. It then climbed directly up the volcano, sliding down inside of Death Mountain itself, groaning and roaring as it did so. They had finally cornered Rudania. The two Hylians stared up in awe as Yunobo landed a ways away from the cannon, laughing dizzily.

Link and Zelda then climbed down from the cannon, beginning to make their way to Yunobo when the growl of a monster caught Link's attention. He turned only to find the club-wielding Moblin looming above him, raising its weapon and swinging without warning. Before Link could realize what was happening, Zelda leaped in front of him, the large club slamming violently into her chest. Time seemed to slow as she cried in pain and roughly landed onto the hard ground a few feet away, her body still.

Link's blood ran cold. "Zelda!" He shouted, rushing to her limp form and kneeling down beside her. The Moblin let out a deep roar of victory, in which Link spun around in fury and shot it three times in the head, rendering it dead within seconds. Yunobo yelped and leaped back as he did so, before turning to Link with wide eyes.

Ignoring Yunobo, Link turned back to Zelda, his bow dropping onto the ground with a loud _clunk._ He quickly rolled Zelda onto her back, assessing the damage as his ears went numb. The chest piece of her flamebreaker armor was completely caved in, piercing her stomach and chest, drawing blood. Her face was horribly pale, and her eyes were dazed as she cracked them open. Link didn't know what to do. He helplessly looked up at Yunobo as he approached, looking completely panicked.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" The young Goron cried, his giant hands gripping it at his head. "What do we do, what do we do!"

Link turned back to Zelda, noticing how far off her eyes appeared. "Zelda!" He cried again, keeping a hand on her cheek. "Zelda stay awake! Zelda!"

Zelda simply groaned in response, her eyes fluttering closed.

"No… no no no no!" Link sputtered, tapping Zelda's cheek lightly with his hand, which had just begun to tremble in fear. "Yunobo!" He shouted suddenly, causing the young Goron to flinch as Link spun to face him.

"We need to get this armor off of her! Now!" He demanded, his voice shaking even as he turned back to Zelda and began to try to pry the armor off of her chest, making no progress whatsoever. "We need-we need to get it off!" He cried out again, just as Yunobo's large hands wrapped around his chest and pulled him away.

"If you do that she won't be protected from the heat, goro!" Yunobo explained hastily as Link fought against him, blind with fear.

After a moment Yunobo let Link go, who instantly turned on him in anger. "The metal is caved into her chest! If we don't get it off, she'll-" He cut himself off, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. "She'll…" He tried again, but the rest of his words got lodged in his chest. Yunobo eyed the Hylian warily before he gently began to speak.

"I'll take her back to Goron City, goro. Then they can help her with some elixirs!"

Link's eyes shot back down to Zelda as she groaned again, her eyes shifting underneath her eyelids. His heart thumped painfully inside his chest as he thought over what Yunobo had said, his gaze shifting between Zelda on the ground and the young Goron.

"I'll take her back, and you continue to the Divine Beast!" Yunobo exclaimed, a fierce determination appearing on his face.

Link shook his head, instantly protesting. "No, no I-I can't keep going… She needs me, I-" He cut himself off again, his voice fading away into nothing. He knelt back down by Zelda, staring over her as he tried to get his thoughts aligned.

He couldn't help but fear for the worst, with a horrible dread that whispered vehemently in his ear that Zelda would not survive. He shook his head, trying to keep that dark thought from the forefront of his mind, but it relentlessly pounded at his consciousness, making his hands shake even more.

"That mean Divine Beast won't stay in the volcano for long, goro." Yunobo began to say, stooping down and gently picking up Zelda in his arms, who groaned in protest.

Link hastily stood, not knowing what to do. He knew what Yunobo was saying about the Divine Beast was true, that soon it would climb back out and attack if he didn't get on it. But for Zelda… He shook his head again, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "I'm her knight. I need to be there for her, even when it doesn't seem right." He stated firmly, taking a step forward to take the lead back to Goron City when Yunobo stepped in front of him, who sadly shook his head.

"Everything will be alright. You need to get into that Divine Beast." He stated, with surprising confidence that Link would never have guessed the young Goron was capable of having.

Link stared. "I-"

"Please go help the Divine Beast, goro." Yunobo cut into his words, giving him a small smile. "Zelda will be okay. I'll make sure of it!"

Link fell silent, and his eyes drifted down to Zelda, who had just begun to breathe raggedly, her face contorted in pain. He looked back up at Yunobo, finally deciding what he needed to do even though it tore painfully at his heart. "I'll free the Divine Beast. You… you get Zelda to safety… please." He said, trying to sound confident even though his voice wavered terribly.

Yunobo set his lips in a straight line, nodding. "I will, goro."

Before the young Goron could leave, however, Zelda stirred, turning her unfocused eyes to Link. "Wait… You-you need the… need the Sheikah Slate." She croaked, gasping painfully as she grabbed the slab of Sheikah tech and shakily handed it to Link, who took it carefully. Zelda then groaned and grimaced, leaning in towards Yunobo's chest as she shook in pain.

With an unsteady breath, Link took a few steps back, cradling the Sheikah Slate as he watched Yunobo turn and hurry away, Zelda's golden hair swinging limply from the rocking of the Goron's gait. His stomach churned in fear, and his heart cried out to chase after Zelda, but he knew he didn't have much time. He needed to board Rudania. He needed to free Daruk. For the Gorons. For Hyrule. For Zelda.

And so, Link turned away and begun to walk towards a thin pathway that continued to the rim of Death Mountain, scooping up the rusted sword from one of the Moblins and clipping the Sheikah slate onto his hip. He kept the sword in his hand, however, the image of Zelda crying out in pain and falling limply onto the ground making his grip tighten on the hilt.

He would not fail.


	15. Alone

**This chapter was revised as of 3/5/2020 - this may be something that I will do with my earlier chapters. I've realized that my writing has gotten better the more I've written, so expect a long wait for chapter sixteen. But then again, what else is new, am I right?**

The climb to the peak of Death Mountain was short yet treacherous, but Link made it all the way up without fault. The Hylian stood high on the ridge of the open volcano, leaning cautiously over to look into the heart of the mountain. Down at the bottom, hundreds of feet away was the giant Divine Beast Vah Rudania. It laid sprawled on the magma, it's pink light blinking wearily as if it were recharging.

Link felt as if he could empathize with the Divine Beast. He felt weary and slow as if he were in a daze. With Zelda's sudden injury fresh on his mind, he suddenly didn't feel motivated anymore to free the Beast. But he knew he had to. At any moment the ancient machine could crawl back out and destroy Goron City, either with an eruption or just itself. Unless, of course, he managed to board it in time.

Taking a deep breath, Link began to think over possible ways he could get down to Rudania in the first place. If he had some sort of cloth or a parachute-like tool like the paragliders King Rhoam had given him and Zelda before, then that would make this wonderfully simple. But it would not be that easy. The paragliders had been destroyed the moment Link and Zelda had landed off of the Great Plateau, all thanks to that stray Moblin.

Maybe he could climb down? No, that would be impossible. The lava running down the sides like waterfalls was proof of that. Perhaps he could wait for Yunobo and use his Daruk's Protection to jump him down? Link almost laughed out loud. The idea was absurd, and the risk was even more so. Besides, only the Goddesses above know how long it'll take for Yunobo to return, and for Zelda to recover. Link's throat tightened, and he quickly pushed the image of Zelda's limp body and pale face out of his mind.

He turned to scan the open mouth of the volcano, soon spotting an area almost on the opposite side where a giant boulder had blocked off the lava, leaving a downwards path directly to Rudania. He immediately began to walk around, having to go down the mountain just a bit multiple times to find a way across the many streams of lava that snaked down the volcano itself. Almost half of an hour passed by until Link made it to the large boulder before he jumped across the lava that it was splitting and climbing over the rock.

He stood on the edge for a moment longer, staring down into the volcano with nervous dread. He knew that the climb would be slow and arduous and that one slip would end his life without question. Swallowing nervously, Link turned himself around and lowered his body to the edge of the boulder, beginning the climb. He kept himself at a slow and steady pace, careful to find the right hand and footholds before proceeding.

The rock was easy enough to navigate down, as it was incredibly jagged and had many indents to hold onto. Despite this, the climb was treacherous and wore on Link's muscles mercilessly. The heat was unbearable with the lava slowly crawling down just a few feet away on either side of him. And as he slowly made it deeper and deeper into the volcano, the heat grew more intense, until it felt as if the metal of his Flamebreaker Armor would melt into his skin.

Everything was going smoothly until he made it farther than halfway down, starting to feel more confident. He picked up his pace, not taking as much time or care to check his footholds before stepping down. As he continued, his foot landed on a rock that suddenly fell loose, causing both of his feet to dangle from the sudden loss of support.

A gasp hitched in Link's throat as he hung there, his fingers screaming in exhaustion as they clung to the rock. His feet scrambled for a ledge or indent to rest on, and after a few breathless moments, they found a slight indent, stepping onto it gratefully. Link let out a sigh of relief, blinking the sweat out of his eyes as he vowed to keep at his slow pace from before. The slow speed was unbearable, but it was safe, and that was all that mattered.

Thankfully, after what seemed forever, he finally reached the Divine Beast. Its legs were sprawled out so that one of its feet was directly underneath the Hylian, making it relievingly easy to end the climb. Link quickly took a second to gather his bearings before pushing off of the rock, landing safely on the leg and taking another moment to catch his breath. He felt as if he might collapse then and there, but he kept himself together. His body was trembling slightly from the exertion, but after a while he forced himself to straighten his back and continue forward. He was eager to finish this Divine Beast.

With a new-found determination, Link pressed onward, the Sheikah Slate bobbing on his hip as he climbed along Rudania's leg and made it to the tail where the entrance was. He paused before entering, however, wishing for the hundredth time that Zelda was with him. Being in a Divine Beast to free and grieve for the Champions was hard enough with his Princess nearby, but now, being alone in Rudania, he found it hard to press on. He wanted to save Daruk, yes, but it was difficult. He had so many emotions swirling around inside his head, and it didn't help when he barely remembered why he was having half of them. He sighed inwardly, slowly turning to face the dark inside of the salamander-like Divine Beast.

A similar empty draft that had come from Ruta chilled Link's senses as he stared into the darkness of Rudania, only lit by the dim light thrown in through the narrow entrance that he stood before. He shuddered slightly, ready to enter into the Divine Beast when a sudden booming voice rattled his ears.

"Hey, little guy!" It exclaimed cheerily, it's rough, familiar tone immediately telling Link that it was Daruk himself speaking to him. His heart both leaped in excitement and dropped in grief at the same time. "Long time no see." The Goron continued, "I always knew you'd come back. Y'know, I never stopped believing in you!" Link had been, and now was quite familiar with the Goron's firm positivity, but because of his failure leading to 100 years of pain and torment, the optimism only hurt.

"Now you're here to take control of ol' Rudania back from Ganon, eh? Well to do that you need to activate the five terminals scattered around 'ere. But where's the Princess?" The question caught Link off guard, and he didn't have time to react in any way before Daruk pressed on. "No matter, I'm sure she's okay! She was always tough and fiery… Either way, you got this, little guy!" The Goron's voice then faded, echoing around the volcano in soft whispers.

Link stayed silent when Daruk's presence seemed to disappear altogether from the Divine Beast, letting the mourning, evil atmosphere of the infectious malice to thrive in the emptiness of it all. He took a moment to collect himself, sucking in the burning air before stepping into Rudania.

Just as he entered into the Divine Beast, a door behind him suddenly slid shut, sealing him inside and instantly darkening the room to pitch black. The only light was that of the blue fire that flickered on two torches nearby and the dreary, dull hue of the pink malice that was clumped around the floor. Some had those large eyeballs, burning an intense orange as they stared at Link.

Link then glanced down at the Sheikah Slate, holding it up to try to produce more light as it's design was already faintly glowing. However, no matter what he did, the little device did nothing to light the dark. He growled in frustration, clipping the Slate back onto his hip. _Zelda would know what to do._ He thought to himself with a hint of despair.

He took a step forward, holding up his hands in case he ran into a wall of some sort, only for his foot to bump against something. He paused and bent down, squinting a bit before picking up a hand-held metal torch. He allowed himself a brief smile before stepping towards one of the blue fires that burned in the standing torches before swiping his torch across it, lighting the tip and producing a cool, blue light around him.

Link glanced around Rudania for a moment, and when he was not able to see much more even with his new-found torch, he trudged deeper into the Divine Beast, sidestepping the malice as he came to vertical metal bars acting as a door that was blocking his path. An empty standing torch stood directly next to it. Link glanced down at it for only a moment before acting on impulse and hovering the blue flame over the torch, quickly lighting it. The bars promptly slid open, providing a way further into Rudania.

He allowed himself another quick smile of victory before walking through, quickly coming across a miniature Guardian. He instantly took out his rusty sword from the Moblin, rushing towards the robot and thrusting the sword into its eye. However, the Guardian moved slightly to the side right as he did so, causing the blade of the sword to shatter against the hard head of the robot. Link stumbled, staring down at what was left of the now useless weapon, his head snapping up when the machine prepared to swipe its own glowing sword. Inwardly cursing himself, Link leaped backward as the robot attacked, dropping the torch and retaliating with a quick arrow from his bow directly into the small Guardians eye. The arrow clanked off of the Guardian's head, making the robot stutter backward. Link quickly got another arrow strong, squinting to see through the darkness. All he could see was the glowing core of the Guardian and its single blue eye. That and its weapon, of course.

The robot soon gathered its bearings after the arrow and came at Link again, who aimed his arrow at the Guardian's eye and blindly let it loose. The arrow struck dead center into the robot's eye, making it fidget and spark before dying and exploding into parts. The sword that the machine had been using clattered onto the floor and Link promptly picked it up along with the still burning torch after discarding his ruined rusted sword.

_I've got to stop trusting rusted weapons._ He thought to himself with slight amusement as he tested out the new sword, finding a switch that turned on the blue, energized blade. He swung it, performing some basic maneuvers before becoming satisfied. He turned off the blue energy and slipped it into his leather band that acted as a sheath. Zelda would've loved seeing this weapon. He thought as he kept his hand on the hilt, letting out a disheartened sigh. No… she will see it. He corrected himself, taking another breath before continuing.

He soon came to some more bars blocking his way after dodging piles of malice, in which Link lit the standing torch next to it and opened them up. He stepped into the next room, finding a darkened terminal. Excited, he quickly took out the Sheikah Slate and hurried to the pad where the Slate must be placed in order to activate the terminal, and he silently did so, causing the small spire to light up in a soft blue. He stepped back, looking up at the structure as light suddenly flooded into the Divine Beast, illuminating everything in a murky light. Link looked up, seeing four circle-like sections that had opened above them, revealing a darkening sky.

Daruk's voice then called out to him, causing him to look around the giant interior of Rudania. "That's the way, little guy! I'll be waiting until you get those other terminals up, alright? Stay focused!" With the Goron's voice fading away, and with new-found motivation in Link, the Hylian turned and traveled back throughout the rooms he had just ventured through, searching for another terminal. It would be much easier now that he had light, and so he unlit the torch and placed it back where he had found it in case he needed it again.

After a moment of searching Link quickly found the second terminal, sitting dormant in the first giant room that he had first entered into. It was against the wall, which is why he hadn't seen it before the other. Link instantly activated it with the Sheikah Slate, meaning that only three terminals remained.

He looked at the soft, blue glow of the terminal before turning around, spotting two giant metal doors directly opposite of the terminal he had just activated. Link looked over the giant doors, letting his eyes then fall down to the Sheikah Slate in his hands. He fumbled with it for a minute, knowing that he needed that… What was it called? The Magnesis rune.

He fiddled with the Slate for a while, gritting his teeth in frustration as he began to just click random buttons and switches. Suddenly, a flash of blue emanated from the slate and a remote bomb appeared in his hands. "Woah!" He yelped, tossing the bomb out of fear and accidentally clicking the Slate again. The bomb promptly exploded, throwing him off of his feet to land roughly on his back a few feet away. Gasping as the air had gotten knocked out of him, Link slowly got back onto his feet, taking a minute to recollect himself as he glared at the Sheikah Slate that lay innocently on the ground next to him. "I was never good at this… stuff." He mumbled to the Sheikah tech as he bent down to pick it up, careful not to touch any of the buttons or switches again. "You know this." He grumbled, sighing and sitting down on the ground with a huff. "And now I'm talking to a slab of… whatever you are." He pushed the Slate a little ways away from him in annoyance.

He sat there for a long time, glaring at the Slate that sat motionless just a few feet away from him. It looked so simple and… useless, but it housed so much power. Power that he had no idea how to control. Sighing and groaning for what seemed the hundredth time, Link finally reached over and picked up the Slate again, now carefully watching the screen as he fiddled with the buttons, scared he might explode another bomb right in his face again.

Finally, after a lot of trial and error, Link smiled triumphantly as he found the Magnesis rune, raising the Slate up to the doors. When he pressed the button on the side a blue, purple and yellow beam shot out of the device, latching itself onto one of the doors. Excited, Link then stood and took a heavy step backward, tugging it open to reveal the terminal inside. He quickly ended the magnesis and sped to the terminal, activating it and turning on his heel. He only had a second to gasp and duck as the bright beam of a Guardian shot over his head, exploding into the terminal behind him. Link leaped onto his feet, seeing another of one of those small Guardians. Except this time it was wielding a spear and a small circular shield. Both of which glowed the same blue that marked it as ancient Sheikah tech.

Pulling out his new glowing weapon, Link activated the blade and lunged forward with the Guardian blocking the attack with its shield. It counterattacked, spinning the spear before shoving it violently forward. Link leaped to the side and rolled to get behind it, but before he could attack the robot simply spun around and blocked the attack once again, retaliating with a jab from its spear.

Link backed away for a moment, his brow creasing in concentration. The thing was quick to defend itself, and it seemed to only be taking the defensive with quick jabs when Link was recovering from a failed attack. He was surprised by how smart the machine was. It was smarter than the living, breathing Moblins and Bokoblins he had faced thus far. Frowning, Link took a threatening step forward, purposely hitting the Guardians shield. As expected, the machine spun its spear and lunged it forward, missing Link as he had jumped to the side.

Link smiled. Okay, maybe this machine wasn't as smart as it had first appeared to be. It could only perform the same maneuver. Block, spin, jab. Block, spin, jab. Confident, Link stepped forward again and quickly smacked the shield, but as the Guardian lowered it and spun its spear before attacking, Link spun around and sliced at its vulnerable core with his sword. The machine's head spun around in confusion and surprise, scurrying away as it sparked for just a moment before recovering. He would need to hit it again. Either that or stab it in its eye.

He prepared himself for a moment before stepping forward and hitting the machine's shield and jumping away as it retaliated. As he came to land he ducked into a roll and ended up behind the Guardian, slashing at its core once again. He felt multiple wires, gears and other important parts getting sliced into two as his sword made contact, but before the machine died it spun around and suddenly jabbed its spear at Link without warning.

The tip of the glowing weapon scraped off of his side, knocking him down with the force of the blow. But before Link could get back onto his feet, the machine sparked violently and fell lifeless, becoming dark and dull. Link slowly got back onto his feet, looking down at his side while breathing hard from the shock. Thankfully, the metal flamebreaker armor kept the spear from piercing any flesh, leaving only a small indent where it had made contact and a deep scratch on the metal of his armor. Letting out a sigh of relief, Link walked up to the now-dead Guardian and picked up its spear, twirling it experimentally in his hand before picking up the shield as well. It was surprisingly light-weight, buzzing with its strange, blue energy. It seemed almost… alive. Link nodded in satisfaction before slipping the shield onto his back and leaving the spear next to the torch. He wanted to save that for later in case his current weapon broke or was to be lost.

Afterward, Link continued his search of the Divine Beast, soon coming to a closed door that had a round hole through the center of it. Link leaned forward to see what was inside, finding an unlit standing torch. He took a step back, taking out his bow and a single fire arrow from his quiver. It was quite obvious what needed to be done. And so he aimed the arrow at the torch through the hole in the door and let it fly, striking the wall behind the torch while simultaneously lighting it. Instantly the door opened, allowing the Hylian to step inside and find the fourth terminal. He quickly activated it, hearing a few more words of praise and encouragement from the Goron Champion before turning and leaving the small room behind. Only one more terminal to go. And for once, things were going surprisingly smooth. _Don't think that._ Link thought to himself, chuckling bitterly. Things always found a way to go wrong. He couldn't let his guard down now.

Continuing the exploration of the Beast, Link wandered through the various rooms on the inside, finding a small treasure chest with a bundle of more fire arrows. He stashed them away in his quiver and continued, soon finding himself where he had begun on the outside of Rudania, having now searched the entire interior of the great machine. He sighed, feeling a bit defeated. There was only one terminal left. Where could it be? He looked around the inside walls of the volcano with the lava slowly crawling down, scanning his surroundings. He turned and climbed up and onto Rudania's back, his eyes drifting over the arches that were above him. They were like a spine, trailing from the head of Rudania all of the ways to its tail.

He began to walk across the back of Rudania, spotting the main control unit in the middle. Well, at least he now knew where that was. As he walked, feeling more and more frustrated when he didn't see anything, he heard a strange sound behind him. He froze, his ears twitching to pick up on any other sounds. When nothing happened he whirled around, pulling out the Guardian sword and the shield, holding both out in front of him protectively as they glowed in their calm light.

There was nothing there. Link frowned. He was sure he had heard something… it sounded like a puff of air, tainted with the faint crinkles of falling paper. He waited, poised and ready to fight for another minute or so, finally relaxing when nothing happened. He kept his weapons out just in case someone or something attacked him, but for the moment he seemed to be safe.

Hesitantly turning around, Link continued walking, finally spotting the last terminal. It spiked into the air like a horn on one of the arches that came over his head. The only problem was that it was in the middle, so he would have to climb over the majority of the arches before he came to the terminal itself.

Link slipped his weapons onto his back and lightly jogged to the head of Rudania, noting how dark it had become. The sun had set a while ago, and so now the only source of light was the lava and the dim pink glow of Rudania. As Link reached the beginning of the arches, he suddenly realized just how tired he was. And hungry. He decided that after activating this last terminal he would try to summon enough energy to finally cleanse this Divine Beast. If not, then he would wait and rest until morning.

Beginning the climb wasn't difficult, as the arch started out in a very slight slant. But as he got higher, the arch became steeper. He slipped a couple of times as he made it over the first arch, but nothing that didn't deter him. The rest of the arches weren't a problem, as he could easily walk around them or jump to the next. After just a few minutes he made it to the terminal, pulling out the Sheikah Slate and quickly activating it. He took a deep breath and released it in satisfaction, looking down at the main control unit as it glowed that familiar orange. Except he knew that this was far from over. He knew that a monster similar to the one in Ruta was waiting for him to try and activate the unit. But he also knew that the monster could easily be defeated, especially without the water making it hard to maneuver as it had when fighting the one in Ruta. Besides, with Zelda's sealing power-

Link suddenly froze, almost dropping the Sheikah Slate as his fingers went stiff. His heart went still and his stomach sunk in dread. _I can't fully cleanse Rudania without Zelda and her sealing power._ He realized, internally scolding himself for not thinking about it sooner. _How am I supposed to fully free Daruk? How am I supposed to finish this if I don't have…_ He let out a groan, turning and sitting down, leaning back against the terminal and dangling his feet over the edge. "What now?" He muttered to himself, trying to think past his despair and frustration.

_Maybe I could climb back out?_ He thought to himself, instantly discarding the idea. He was far too tired to do such a thing, but perhaps if he took the time to rest… No. Resting takes time, and time was not something he had. _I guess my only option is to wait. I'll have to wait for Zelda to-_

His thoughts were cut short when something smacked into his back, sending him flying down off of the arch. He let out a yelp as he fell, spinning around to look above him. He caught a glimpse of red flashing in the air before he collided painfully with the ground on his back, the air instantly getting knocked out of him and a bright light flashing in his eyes as his head smacked harshly against the surface of Rudania. He could faintly hear a sharp thump sound next to him, which he subconsciously guessed was the Sheikah Slate.

Groaning in pain, Link curled up on his side, struggling to breathe as his head spun and spots danced in his eyes. He was aware of someone standing above him, but he couldn't see who it was. It was just a blur of a figure, one that kicked him hard in the chest and sent him rolling onto his side. He coughed, gasping for breath as his vision slowly cleared.

"Missed me?" The figure crooned, leaning down closer to Link's face.

It took a moment before he realized who it was, breathing weakly and struggling to keep his head from spinning and throbbing. The man was wearing flamebreaker armor very similar to his own, but just through the bars of the helmet, he could see the familiar, gleaming dark eyes, and a tuft of bright blonde hair that almost seemed white.

"You're…" Link tried to talk, but his voice was raspy and breathless and his body screamed in pain from the exertion. "You?" He managed to get out, trying to will his limbs to move, but the shock from the fall was still taking its toll.

Jarin frowned through the bars of the helmet, spinning the sickle in his hand. "I knew you fell far, Hero, but I didn't think it would take this much out of you." He said in a disappointed tone.

Link glared fiercely at the Yiga and gritted his teeth as he forced himself to sit up, ignoring the dizziness in his head and getting onto his feet. He swayed a bit unsteadily as his vision swam before him, but he pushed it all aside and drew his sword and shield, activating them in a brilliant flash of blue.

Jarin's eyes widened a bit at the weapons, but he held his ground, crouching into a fighting stance. "Perhaps not." He said in a low tone, eying the weapons. But even with his initial hesitation, Jarin lunged, swiping his sickle at Link's chest who quickly blocked it with his shield, stumbling backward as the yiga shoved him away.

Determined to stay on his feet, Link ignored the pain in his body and attacked back, thrusting forward. Jarin leaped daintily to the left, retaliating with a strike of his own. Link hastily spun to face him and just barely raised his shield in time, finally shaking off the last of his dizziness from the fall. His eyes narrowed at the yiga now that he could fully concentrate and threw him backward, thrusting his sword forward violently. Jarin didn't see the aggression coming and quickly took a few clumsy steps back so that Link's sword just barely pricked against the chest piece of his flamebreaker armor.

A ferocious glare burned in Jarin's eyes before he glanced up at the dark night sky, his ferocity faltering just a bit as he took a moment to think. His gaze met Link's once again, and he cracked a small smile that was just barely visible through the bars of the helmet. "Have a good night's rest, Hero." He said quietly before straightening and bringing his hands together, a circle of symbols or runes appearing around him before he was gone, the forever taunting eye of the yiga fading in the air where he once was. The small papers that fell from the puff of smoke instantly caught fire in the burning air, crumbling in on themselves and turning to ash just as they touched onto the ground.

Link stayed on guard for a long while after Jarin left, keeping his ears sharp as he listened for any more puffs of air and crinklings of paper. When nothing came, and no yiga, he sighed wearily, slipping his weapons onto his back and into his makeshift sheath before realizing just how exhausted he was from climbing down the volcano, trekking throughout the Divine Beast with no rest, climbing over the arches, and now having fallen from the highest point of Rudania and fighting off Jarin.

Slowly, Link walked over to the main control unit, glancing at the bright blue beam of light that stood proudly from the activation pad before turning and sitting down, leaning his back against it the unit. He sighed and let his head fall back against the structure, feeling his eyes droop. He forced them open. He couldn't fall asleep. He knew that the moment he did Jarin would attack and that would be the end of that. Glaring up at the night sky, Link sat there, letting his mind run wild and trying to ignore the soreness of his body.

The first thoughts that crossed his mind were the ones that had been plaguing him ever since getting onto Rudania. He was hungry. He was tired. But most of all, he was thirsty. For the love of Hylia, he was thirsty. The heat tore at his throat, making him sweat profusely even with the armor to protect him. If anything it felt as if the armor was making it even hotter.

The next was mainly about Zelda. He couldn't stop replaying the scene with the Moblin over and over in his head, rerunning it and theorizing ways it could've gone differently. If Zelda hadn't thrown herself in front of Link he would've gotten hit and then… and then what? He would be in Goron City, and Zelda would be in Rudania exactly where he was right now. Maybe if he had made sure all of the Moblins were completely dead before turning his back, then Zelda would be with him, and they could already be speaking with Daruk face to face.

Daruk… Link frowned as he thought about the Goron champion, running over the memories he had of him. He knew that he liked the Goron the most out of all of the champions, well… in a brotherly way. Mipha… Mipha was a completely different story. He had no idea how he felt about her. All he knew was that she… meant a lot to him. What about the other two champions? What were their names? There was the Gerudo champion Urbosa, and then the Rito champion Revali. His frown deepened as he struggled to conjure up an image of the last two champions. It was hard.

Grunting in frustration Link climbed to his feet, mindlessly walking along the back of Rudania, trying to remember Revali and Urbosa. He then froze, the memory from East Gate jumping into his mind. Closing his eyes, Link replayed the memory over in his mind, clinging to it desperately. After a while, he sighed and opened his eyes, a small smile on his face. He continued forward, trying to recall more of the Champions. His thoughts were cut short, however, as he soon found himself standing before the entrance to the interior of Rudania.

He walked inside, half expecting the door to slam shut behind him again. When it didn't, he thought nothing of it and continued. He explored around where he had found the terminals, taking a lot of time to examine the two giant metal doors from before. He fiddled with the Sheikah Slate before he found the Magnesis rune again, latching the beam onto one of the doors and swinging it back and forth. Once he grew bored of that he ended the connection and wandered along, spotting a treasure chest sitting up on a shelf that was embedded into one of the walls.

Keeping the chest in his sight, Link walked up to the wall and began to climb up it, finding it difficult as the wall was pretty much as smooth as everything else had been in the Divine Beast so far. After a while he finally managed to get up and over to the chest, opening it excitedly. His eyes widened as he spotted a glowing rock, the name of the substance leaping into his mind as he reached in and pulled it out. _Luminous Stone…_ he smiled at the name. _Seems fitting enough._ He thought to himself before tucking the rock under his arm and leaping off of the shelf, rolling on the ground when he made contact with it. It wasn't nearly high enough to cause any damage, unlike the arch from before, which was a relief.

Examining the ore in his hands, Link continued around the Divine Beast, finding another treasure chest with more fire arrows in it and another chunk of Luminous Stone. Now with two of the strange glowing rocks, Link pondered if he could sell them for a nice price. He smiled at the idea. It would be nice to buy a nice soft bed for a night once he freed Daruk. Either that or a fresh hot meal. Link almost began to drool at the thought.

Soon the night ended before Link even realized the sun was back in the sky. He had spent the rest of the night exploring every inch and corner of the interior of Rudania, finding nothing else but some rusted weapons and a few more chests with fire arrows and even some normal ones that had been engulfed in flames the moment he had pulled them out of the chest. He guessed that the only reason he could use his fire arrows was because they were resistant to the burning heat. Anything else flammable wouldn't last long.

As the sun began its slow crawl across the sky, Link once again experimented with the metal doors before playing with the blue fire and the torch. He then discarded his weapons and tried out using the spear he had gotten from the small Guardian earlier, shifting his fighting style to accommodate the lengthy weapon. He found it rather enjoyable, but decided that he would rather fight with a one-handed sword, and maybe a shield, even if they did get in the way at times.

Soon it became noonday, and there was no sign of Yunobo or Zelda or even Jarin. Link began to grow restless, finding himself lying on his back on the ground, twirling the glowing spear above him and watching the blue tip go around and around. He entertained himself by letting his eyes unfocus just a bit so that the glow would lag just a bit, almost creating a full blue, glowing circle hovering in the air above him.

The evening came, and Link grew bored with the spear. He discarded it and picked up the shield, eying the ramp that came down from the entrance. For the next few hours until night Link discovered how to shield surf and wasted away the rest of the day sliding down the short, shallow ramp over and over again. He wondered if he had ever done this before Calamity Ganon and… everything else.

Then the night came and went. Link had spent his time mastering his shield surfing skills on the ramp, playing with the metal doors once again, climbing along the beams and shelves that were scattered around the interior of the Divine Beast, and trying to javelin throw the Guardian spear from one side of Rudania to the other side, using one of the standing torches that held the blue, flickering flame as his target.

The next morning then began, and Link found it increasingly difficult to keep his eyes open. He was getting so sick of Rudania, and the heat that pounded at his metal armor and threatened to choke him to death. Then there was his hunger… and his thirst. That was the worst part of it all. He found himself fantasizing taking a giant bite out of a large, juicy slab of meat, fresh from the fire. Then he would take the largest cup of the coldest water he could find, and dump it into his gaping mouth. As noonday came Link actually caught himself drooling at the thought of a hefty meal. _I'm losing my mind._ He thought to himself with a frown and wide eyes, chastising himself by going over some fighting movements with his sword. That didn't help with how tired he was. And hungry. And thirsty.

Night came once again. Link had given up on trying to spend time doing something active, which resulted in him sitting against the main control unit fiddling with the Sheikah Slate. He had found the camera rune, and he took many random 'pictures' as they were called of Rudania, his weapons, and the magma that crawled down the inside of Death Mountain. When midnight came, or at least what he thought was midnight, Link's eyelids grew impossibly heavy. Sleep sounded just wonderful, and with his dreary mind, Link was happy to give in, momentarily forgetting about the threat of the Yiga. His mind drifted away as he sunk into the happy release of sleep, slumping against the main control unit as his body went limp.

_Zelda glared fiercely over her shoulder at Link and ran into Gerudo Town, kicking up the loose sand into Link's eyes as he tried to follow her. She slid into the desert settlement and turned, folding her arms over her chest in defiance as Link wiped the dirt from his face. The two strong looking Gerudo guards watched Link with careful eyes, crossing their spears in front of the entrance as a clear message. No men allowed._

_Link glanced at the guards and then made eye contact with Zelda, who was smiling slyly. Her smirk stayed as she turned briskly on her heel and walked out of sight into the bustling town._

_Slowly backing away from the two threatening Gerudo guards, Link turned to the side and walked away from the main entrance, looking up at the stone wall that encircled the town. He knew that Zelda despised him, but to run away like this and use Gerudo law against him? It was childish!_

_He sighed as he continued to walk around the town's perimeter, looking for a way to climb in. He walked past another side entrance, glancing cautiously at the Gerudo guard that stood to the side. Pressing on, he found a secluded spot behind the town where he could scramble up and over the stone wall._

_Readying himself, Link reached up and gripped onto the rough stone, beginning the climb. He jumped up to the top in a matter of seconds, scanning the town for any sign of Zelda. He spotted her speaking with a shopkeeper that was trying to sell a white Gerudo outfit to her. Immediately, Link took a step forward when a loud voice suddenly split the air._

_"On the wall!" It cried, just as Gerudo guards suddenly flooded both sides of the wall, pointing their sharp spears at Link. "Get him!" One of them shouted, receiving cries of anger from the others as they all lunged at Link._

_Gasping, Link took a step back and was ready to jump off of the wall and make a run for it when three men suddenly encircled him, facing outwards to the guards. They were poised like animals, and they viciously attacked the guards, shoving them off of the wall with ease. Two of the men were wielding a curved sickle while the third held the… Master Sword._

_With all of the guards defeated, the three strangers turned, revealing Jarin, Tryvan, and… himself. Link stared, not believing what he was seeing. The young man before him was identical to him in everything, except for the sadistic grin on his face, and the red clothes that all of the Yiga wore, and the white mask hanging on his hip, which both Jarin and Tryvan had as well. The young man who looked like Link was in the middle of the three, and he advanced on the real Hylian Champion with a wicked grin._

_"Want something?" He asked with a mocking pouting face, brandishing the Master Sword before him. It glinted beautifully, except it was a cold beauty as if the blade had turned against him. It was a cold beauty that he could not touch. A weapon without mercy._

_Link couldn't help it. He stared at the blade and reached out for it, his heart lurching. He needed that weapon. He needed it so badly-_

_The doppelganger held his ground, bringing the tip of the sword to Link's chin, stopping him in his tracks. Everything around the two faded away as silence fell, dripping down… down… down… until there was nothing. There were only the two Champions, one wearing blue, and the other red, with only the Master Sword to separate them._

_"You want this so badly… don't you." The young man in red stated bluntly, pushing the tip of the blade harder against Link's chin, causing him to flinch ever so slightly. "You want this blade, this beauty, this power."_

_Link could only stare, his voice dying in his throat._

_"You can never obtain this. You're spineless, mindless… you are nothing but the shell of a once-great hero, praised for his feats of strength and boundless courage." He then lowered the blade, falling quiet. Link let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, collapsing onto his hands and knees as he stared at the ground. He couldn't move. He couldn't even raise his head._

_"Now look at you." The young man spat, falling quiet for a moment before letting out a tired sigh. He calmly took the white mask of the Yiga from his hip, kneeling down to better hold eye contact with the trembling Champion. "You have no chance." He said, his voice dangerously low and monotone. "You're already dead."_

_Link watched, helpless, as the red-clad image of himself straightened back to his full height, preparing to strike at Link with the sword of evil's bane. However, before he could, the Master Sword began to glow, slowly increasing in intensity. Link stared at the weapon until his eyes couldn't take it anymore, making him close them just as the Master Sword's glow became as bright as the sun. He could vaguely hear his own pain-filled scream piercing through the air, but he hadn't opened his mouth._

_But just as soon as it had appeared, the scream and the light vanished, and when Link opened his eyes, he found himself standing just below East Gate. There was a person in front of him, dressed in the red suit of the Yiga with the white mask over their face. The figure then chuckled low under their breath, taking the mask off to reveal the face of… Zelda._

_"And the Princess…" She began to mumble, her golden hair falling onto her shoulders, which was covered in dirt and grime while the ends were burnt and charred. Her face was also burnt, with numerous bloody scars disrupting her usual beauty. "I'll have the honor of seeing your blood stain the grass once more." She murmured sadistically, reaching out to Link with the Yiga Mask in hand as if she intended to put it on him._

_She then began to chuckle, her body quaking as she stood limply like a rag doll. With her mutilated laughter growing louder, Zelda raised her head, taking a threatening step towards Link, the mask still being held out in offering. It seemed to be growing, extending out towards him… reaching for him. Dark blood oozed from the hundreds of cuts and scratches over Zelda's face, making her barely recognizable. "Let me see… let me-me smell…" She continued to mumble until her eyes suddenly flared with piercing golden light. "Your death!" She screeched, cackling maniacally as she leaped at Link, hands outstretched like claws, the mask tumbling to the ground. Link gasped and reached behind him, suddenly grasping onto the Master Sword and swiping the shining blade at the Princess. She screamed and collapsed, and as Link knelt down to help her-_

A puff of air. Link shot up, panting as sweat dripped into his eyes. He glanced over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of a burning slip of paper before it became nothing more but ash. His mind slowly woke up and just barely registered what that meant before the sound of metal sliding into fresh air startled him into action. He jumped to his feet just as the sharp tip of Jarin's sickle stabbed against the main control unit where Link's head had been moments before.

Hastily pulling out his sword and shield, Link blinked the sleep from his eyes as Jarin came into focus just as he was lunging forward. Link didn't have time to fully raise his shield, resulting in Jarin landing a deep scratch across Link's chest piece of his armor. Link stumbled backward tiredly, trying to register what just happened as Jarin attacked again, knocking him off of his feet and onto his back. The shock of the attack made him drop both his shield and his sword, with his shield sliding too far away for him to reach while his sword was directly next to him. He could still grab it.

"Pathetic." He heard Jarin spit out, lunging forward and pressing his knee down on Link's chest. He felt the metal of his armor give just slightly underneath the pressure, and the cold metal of the yiga's sickle pressed against his neck. Jarin then used his other hand to grip the top of Link's helmet, forcing his head against the ground. "You know, I could simply take this helmet off and let your hair burn your head away." The yiga said coldly, pulling on the helmet just slightly. "But that would be too easy for you. No… I want you to suffer." He pressed the sickle harder against Link's neck, making him involuntarily cough and gag. Jarin's eyes burned in fury. "I want you to suffer through the night and into the morning. I want you to bleed from every pore, burn every single hair off of your body one by one, until I can finally slit your throat like opening a letter. Seems fitting for the one that murdered my brother, hm?"

Link could only glare, not daring to speak as he slowly felt for his sword, gripping onto the hilt as silently as possible as Jarin stared him down. The yiga continued to speak, unaware that Link was now armed. "Now that I finally have you at my mercy, Hero… I don't know what I want to do with you first."

Link then braved to speak, his throat pushing against the sickle as he forced the words out. "I thought-I thought… you needed me alive. For your… your master."

Jarin snorted and pushed harder, gaining another gag from Link. "I don't care about that anymore. And you shouldn't either, because all you'll soon know is pain. Agonizing pain." He then raised his sickle off of Link's neck ever so slightly, adjusting just a bit to get a better grip on Link's helmet. But just as he began to pull it off Link attacked, pushing up with all of his strength and stabbing underneath the metal chest piece of Jarin's armor and piercing flesh.

The yiga cried out in pain and fell backward off of Link, the sickle clanking loudly onto the ground. Jarin lifted the chest piece just slightly to see the wound, staring up at Link in shock before his eyes fell to the blood that stood in sharp contrast to the calm blue of the blade in the Hylian champion's hand.

Link frowned, but not in anger. He felt his exhaustion seeping into his limbs, but he wouldn't show it. Not now. He needed to finish this once and for all. Without a word Link walked up to the yiga and raised his sword, preparing for the finishing blow before Jarin gasped in fear and hastily began to crawl away, wincing in pain from the movement. Link hesitated, his determination from before deteriorating. He watched Jarin crawl away from him for a moment with a deadpan stare, finding it incredible yet… sad how different the yiga now appeared to be. The anger was gone. The bloodlust was gone. Now all there was was pure physical pain, fear, and… despair. He knew he was dead. He knew there wasn't anything more he could do before he breathed his last breath.

After a long while of staring and silence, Link finally lowered his sword and backed away from Jarin, sitting down on the ground and watching the yiga with tired eyes. Jarin had stopped crawling, now clutching his stomach underneath his armor with one hand while staring right back at Link warily. His body shook from the pain.

Silence filled the night for a long while until Jarin slumped to the ground, now lying on his side and breathing raggedly. "What… What are you doing?" He finally spat out, groaning in pain and clutching his stomach harder.

Link looked over at the yiga with a somber expression. "I'm staying awake." He replied shortly.

Jarin gritted his teeth and closed his eyes for a minute before opening them again and sucking in a pained breath. "You should just… finish me off. Put-put me… out of my mis-misery."

Link frowned, staring down at the weapon beside him, the blade still glowing blue with the blood now dried. It was a horrible, crimson color, just barely shifting to a sickening brown. Link suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore. "I don't want to." He finally said, his eyes still trained on the dried blood.

The yiga groaned again, except this time it was tainted with frustration and desperation. "Always… always the good guy." He muttered darkly, "Too… Too weak to finish-finish the… the job."

Turning his head, Link looked back over at the yiga, but he wasn't groaning and trembling anymore. Link watched him for a moment longer, seeing that his face had relaxed and he wasn't breathing any longer. He was gone.

Frown deepening, Link stood with a grunt, slowly making his way to the yiga's body. He looked down at the still form for a long while, his mind empty. He didn't know what to think. He didn't know what to feel. And so he simply bent down and picked up the limp body, which was somehow cold even inside of a volcano. He took a few pained steps to the edge of Rudania before throwing the dead body into the magma below, turning away so that he wouldn't have to see the corpse melt away. He winced at the sickening burning, sizzling sound that erupted behind him as he walked over to the yiga's sickle. He scooped it up, staring at the metal that seemed to gleam wickedly even in the darkness of the night. The dim light around him from the magma that sludged about in the volcano cast strange shadows on the metal. He tilted the weapon back and forth, staring at it blankly.

Gritting his teeth in sudden anger Link winded his arm back and threw the sickle as hard as he could, chucking it off of Rudania and into the magma. He stood there for what felt like an eternity, staring into the interior of the volcano before finally sucking in a deep breath and sluggishly making his way to the main control unit. He slumped back towards the ground, trying but failing to keep his eyes away from the bloodstain on the ground before his eyes slid shut and he was once again lost.

**Thank you so much for reading! Make sure you leave a review if you haven't already! Let me know your thoughts :)**

**This chapter was super fun to write. It was really funny to me imagining the things Link would do being all alone in the Divine Beast for days, haha. **


	16. Battle on Rudania

****Hmmm so the coronavirus, eh? That's pretty wild. My school just got suspended until the teachers get things worked out so we can do online. Man, I'm just glad I got this chapter out. Hope y'all enjoy! And please stay healthy and safe! (wash your hands, don't touch your face, etc. etc.) ****

Another day slowly slugged by after the death of Jarin. The sun beat relentlessly on Link's armor as he lay on his back on the back of Rudania, staring up at the sky. He didn't necessarily think during those many hours. He was too busy repeating the same thought of hunger and thirst that filled his mind.

When another day passed after that, Link found that he didn't have the energy to get up. But he knew that he could if he needed to; he simply just didn't have the motivation or a reason too. He was perfectly fine staying right where he was, waiting and waiting for Zelda to come. Link frowned. Was she even coming? It certainly didn't seem like it, but he knew that she had gotten horribly injured, and with that injury comes the need for time. He just hoped that she was alright and that his waiting, hunger, and thirst wasn't in vain.

As the sun crept to its peak on the fourth day, perfectly centered in the open mouth of Death Mountain that Link had to turn his head away lest he should be blinded, he was just about to drift off to sleep when-

_Thump._

Something heavy and large slammed into the surface of Rudania, snapping Link out of his stupor and making him jump slightly. He rose to his elbows, his body begging him to just lay back down and go to sleep. He immediately spotted a large cloud of dust that was just barely beginning to settle. _Could it be…? _Link thought to himself, a spark of hope igniting in his chest. Was it Zelda? He blinked, refocusing his eyes as the cloud of dust settled completely, revealing two figures.

It only took another second before Link realized who it was, even with the flamebreaker armor covering her entire body, and with Yunobo covering half of her frame with his own burly one. His heart thumped wildly in excitement. "Zelda." He croaked out, his voice just barely a whisper as he had not used it in days. He tried again. "Zelda!" This time it was stronger.

The young Hylian perked up at her name being called, stepping past Yunobo and scanning the area until her eyes landed on Link. Since her face was covered by the helmet he could not see it, but Link was sure she was smiling. "Link!" She cried, beginning to move towards him.

Blind in his excitement, Link struggled to his feet, momentarily forgetting his past hunger and thirst. Swaying on his feet, he suddenly felt dangerously lightheaded. His vision blacked out for a moment, making him lean against the main control unit so that he wouldn't fall over. Zelda noticed this and shouted his name again, hurrying towards him.

She was there in seconds. She roughly collided with him out of her own excitement, a sharp _clang_ sounding when they're armor met. She embraced him tightly, pulling back almost immediately as she realized just how weak he was. Yunobo was near them now, holding his hands in front of him in his normal, nervous stance.

"Link… what happened to you?" Zelda said in a lowered tone, her excitement being replaced with worry. She looked him over, now helping him stand.

Link couldn't stop smiling, ignoring the question just as he was ignoring his physical state. "I knew you would come." He said, out of breath from his sudden movements.

"You look like you can barely stand on two feet! Did you get hurt? Are you injured?" Zelda asked quickly, getting straight to the point, her brow still creased with concern.

Blinking drearily a few times, Link tried to swallow to comfort his dry throat, but there was nothing to swallow. "Do you have any water?" He finally said, feeling his dizziness returning with a vengeance.

Zelda's eyes widened as she realized what the problem was. "Oh my Hylia! I'm so sorry! You must be starving!" She then helped him sit down against the main control unit before bringing out a metal flask. "Here, the Gorons gave me this to help with trekking up Death Mountain, but you need it more than I do. Drink slowly." She ordered, taking off the lid and handing it to Link.

Link gingerly took the flask, bringing it to his dry lips. Once the first drop of water touched his tongue, a desperate urge seized him and he tilted the flask violently. Zelda saw this and quickly grabbed it, jerking it away from Link's open mouth. "You have to drink it slowly or else you'll throw it back up and we'll be right back where we started." She said firmly, helping Link drink at a slower pace as Yunobo came up beside them.

"Is everything alright, goro?" He asked in his timid, shaky voice, looking down at Link with wide eyes.

Glancing over her shoulder to the young Goron, Zelda nodded her head. "Don't worry, Yunobo… Oh I should've thought about this, letting you go in here without any food or water." She said despairingly, looking back at Link. "I'm sorry."

Link shook his head, placing his hand on Zelda's hand and lowering the flask as he looked at her intently. "Don't be sorry. I'm just glad you're better." His brow furrowed in a moment of confusion. "How… did you recover so fast anyway?"

"I'll explain in a moment. Here-" She held out a leather sack, opening it up and pulling out a strip of dried meat.

She handed the food to Link, who took it gingerly and with immense gratitude. He ripped off a bit, chewing it. Relief washed over him, encouraging him as he ate the entire strip in seconds. Zelda promptly handed him another one as she spoke up.

"The Gorons used a fireproof elixir to take my armor off, and then they treated me with different elixirs and potions. They worked like a charm! It was an amazing feeling, Link. It filled me with energy, and even relieved some of the pain."

Yunobo stepped in. "We always use elixirs, goro! They get the job done."

"And once we've freed Daruk and Rudania and get back to Goron City, I want to try making my own," Zelda added.

Link finished his second strip of meat and felt strangely full. Perhaps even a little sick. Zelda handed him another strip and he began eating it, but only taking tiny bits at a time. "That sounds great." He said after swallowing.

Zelda nodded excitedly, standing up and looking around. "So what did you do while I was gone?" She asked, glancing back down at Link. He began to get to his feet, and Zelda helped him up. He was still lightheaded and incredibly weak, but he told himself he could handle it.

"Well…" Link trailed away in his response, laughing a bit and rubbing the back of his neck. Or… the neck of his armor. "I turned on all of the terminals, and then… just waited, I guess."

"Thanks for doing all of the terminals. And I'm sorry again for making you wait." Zelda said with a small, sheepish smile.

"We tried to hurry as fast as we could, goro!" Yunobo added.

Link shrugged, steadying himself as the action brought another wave of dizziness over his head. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me, and don't feel bad either."

"So you just… hung around here? For multiple days?" Zelda questioned.

"Not exactly…"

Zelda perked up. "What happened?"

Link shrugged again. "I had to fight two smaller guardians, and then I was attacked by Jarin."

"Jarin?" Zelda questioned.

"The yiga from before. He attacked right when I activated the last terminal up there-" he pointed above them to the glowing terminal, "-and then again when I fell asleep later."

Yunobo rubbed his hands together and glanced around nervously. "Where is he now?"

Link's eyes drifted to the bloodstain that stood out on Rudania rather sharply. Zelda followed his line of sight and spotted it, letting out a barely audible gasp. Yunobo let out a little 'oh' once he saw it.

"I didn't have a choice. I had to-" Link's next words got lodged in his throat. He struggled on what to say until Zelda put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

She smiled softly. "You had no choice. I understand."

Yunobo swallowed, trying but failing to be as comforting as Zelda. "Yeah… he was a bad guy, so he had to… yeah." His voice dropped to a mutter, and his gaze constantly shifted from the bloodstain back to Link, then back to the stain.

Wanting to change the subject, Link cleared his throat and reached behind him, taking out his sword and shield. Zelda raised her eyebrows up once she spotted them. "What are those?" She asked.

Link smiled and activated them, both the sword and the shield lighting up in a flash of blue light, little tendrils of the strange ancient sheikah energy trailing off of them. An exclamation of surprise and amazement burst from Zelda, and she seized the sword, staring at it in wonder. "They're the weapons from the two small guardians I had to fight." Link explained as Zelda continued to examine the glowing blade.

"They're incredible!" She exclaimed, trading Link the sword for the shield and squealing in excitement. "It's amazing what the ancient sheikah accomplished." She said in a loving manner, holding out the shield in front of her as if she were defending against an enemy attack.

"But they're just glowing, goro. I don't see why they're so cool." Yunobo remarked.

Zelda handed the shield back to Link while giving Yunobo an offended look. "They aren't just glowing, that's pure ancient energy coming from stationary weapons! And the intricate design in which it forms the blade and bulk of the shield! It's beautiful."

Yunobo gave a small shrug. "They just look like luminous stone, goro."

"Oh!" Link exclaimed, slipping the weapons back onto his back. "That reminds me, I found two luminous stones in some chests. I stored them inside. Wanna have a look?"

Zelda opened her mouth with a smile, but with a glance at the main control unit, that smile fell. "Link… we shouldn't waste any more time." She gazed up at the unit with a mournful gaze. "We need to free Daruk."

Now looking up at the unit as well, Link nodded. "You're right. I'll just grab them now so we can sell them later at Goron City."

"I have a sack we can use to carry them, goro." Yunobo offered, showing a leather sack that was hanging limply on his hip.

"That'll work great. I'll go get them." Link said quickly before hurrying off, stumbling a bit before forcing himself to stay on his feet despite his weak state.

A few short moments later Link returned with the two luminous stones and the Guardian's spear from before, handing the stones to Yunobo and the spear to Zelda. "So you have something to defend yourself with." He said as he handed the weapon over.

Zelda moved the spear around experimentally and activated the blade at the tip. "It's so lightweight." She said with wide eyes.

Link nodded, starting to feel much better now that he had moved around a bit. "It's fun to fight with."

"So what do we need to do now, goro?" Yunobo asked.

"We need to fully cleanse Rudania." Link answered.

Yunobo wrinkled his nose. "But _how_?"

Link and Zelda turned their heads and looked over at the main control unit as Zelda explained, "We need to activate that control unit. But there's a monster guarding it."

Instantly Yunobo recoiled in fear. "A monster? What kind of monster, goro?"

The two Hylians glanced at each other. "I'm not sure what to call it," Zelda said truthfully.

Link thought about a name for a moment. "How about a… miniature calamity?"

Zelda shook her head. "I was thinking of calling it a blight. That is an infectious disease that I remember studying back before… everything, and the malice has… sort of infected Rudania, I guess."

"Blight sounds much better." Link agreed.

And with that, the two Hylians and the young Goron approached the main control unit, with Link gnawing on another strip of dried meat to regain more of his energy. He handed the Sheikah Slate to Zelda, finished the meat and pulled out his weapons, just as Zelda lowered the slate onto the unit's control pad.

Immediately a surge of malice exploded into the air, making the trio stumble back from the force of it. Yunobo let out an involuntary shriek, and Zelda hooked the Sheikah Slate back onto her hip, holding the spear out in front of her. Link also got his weapons ready, crouching into a fighting stance. His bow and quiver of arrows bobbed against his back, and he made a mental note to use those as a last resort.

"Get ready." Zelda murmured under her breath just as blue strings of light drifted past them and started to form into an orb behind the group. They all spun around, Yunobo letting out another sound of surprise and moving behind Link and Zelda.

The orb continued to grow in size, a strong-looking arm forming with a giant blue, shining blade as the hand. The other arm was skinny, with a small flame flickering in it's skeleton-like hand. Next the rest of its body formed, revealing a bulky head and chest, with a torrent of red hair sticking out from its skull. A single blue eye, like the blight from Ruta, shown in startling contrast to the black and pink glow of the malice that created it. Link quickly realized that his arrows wouldn't do much damage to the behemoth before him, unless he managed to pierce its eye.

Just as Yunobo began to whimper from the sight of the behemoth, Daruk's voice boomed from Rudania, silencing the young goron. "Watch yourselves now! That ugly pain in the crag is Ganon's handiwork. Thing got the best of me a hundred years ago. Good luck, little guy! You too tiny princess! I wouldn't worry much since you got my descendent with ya'-" Yunobo gasped at the mention of his presence, "-but go get 'im!"

As Daruk's voice faded the blight before them let out a thunderous roar, drifting towards them as it had no legs. It's beady eye zeroed in on Link, and it immediately raised its threatening blade into the air.

"Yunobo, move out of the way! Zelda, you go right, I'll go left!" Link instantly barked out, turning and sprinting to his left while Zelda went right and Yunobo scurried behind the main control unit where he wouldn't be in harm's way. The blight crashed it's blade onto the ground where Link had been moments before, growling as it lifted itself back up and turned to face Link again.

The Hylian champion planted his feet. He was going to fight this monster head on. "Zelda! Throw a bomb to get it's attention!" He shouted, rolling out of the way as the blight slammed its blade onto the ground again. Link retaliated with an attack of his own, but the monster merely blocked it with it's weapon.

Zelda quickly summoned a remote bomb and threw it with a grunt at the blight's head, exploding it right when it collided with it's chaotic red hair. The blight shrieked in pain, whirling towards Zelda. Link immediately took his opportunity, placing his shield onto his back and leaping into the air, planting his sword directly into the back of the blight, the blade of his sword sinking halfway into its flesh of malice. Link hadn't expected for his sword to get stuck, so he hung there helplessly, clutching onto the hilt of his sword and trying to wiggle it out.

The blight's growling grew louder with anger and it spun around violently, throwing Link from it's back. Link landed right next to Zelda, who helped him stand. His guardian sword stuck out of the blight like a blue, glowing thorn, making the horrible monster even more agitated then it was before.

"Are you working on getting your power to… turn on?" Link asked Zelda hurriedly. He grabbed her hand and the two of them sprinted to the side as the blight attacked where they had been standing.

"It's not exactly that easy. I don't know how I did it in Ruta!" She replied, handing the spear to Link. "Take this until you can get your sword back, and I'll focus on… turning it on." She said, giving him a weak smile. It didn't look like she was very confident. Nevertheless Link nodded and took the spear, letting go of Zelda's hand and sprinting to the front of the blight, jumping up and down and yelling until he had caught it's attention. Once he did he pulled out his shield again, waited for it to attack, and jumped to the side once it did. While the blight recovered he lunged forward and jabbed at it with his spear, puncturing its flesh. The blight let out another shriek and twisted its body, suddenly spinning with its weapon pointed outwards. Link gasped and held up his shield just as the blight's blade made contact with him, jarring his arms as it crashed into his shield and flung him backwards.

He landed roughly on his back, just a few feet from the main control unit. He groaned and opened his eyes, seeing Yunobo leaning over him. "You okay, goro?" He asked worriedly.

Link lifted his head a bit and saw the blight approaching, raising its weapon to attack. Link's eyes widened. "Yunobo get away!" He shouted, struggling to get to his feet from his rough landing. The young goron, however, ignored his order and moved so that he was between the Hylian champion and the blight, which was now close enough to attack.

"Yunobo!" Link shouted again, closing his eyes in fear as the blight let out a triumphant roar. He heard Zelda cry out his name as the blight brought its weapon down upon them.

When Link didn't feel any pain, however, he slowly opened his eyes to find both him and Yunobo covered in that orange, spherical shield known as Daruk's Protection. Link grinned and even laughed a bit in relief, slowly getting to his feet. Yunobo stood, slightly crouched, with his hands pressed against the shield, which was the only thing separating him from the blight's weapon. The young goron looked like he was struggling to keep the shield up against the blight's strength, so Link quickly prepared his spear and placed his shield on his back so that he could maneuver easier.

"Yunobo, think you can push the blight away and drop the shield? I've got it covered now." Link said.

The young goron grunted as the blight pushed harder against the shield with its blade. "Are you sure, goro? I… I don't want you getting hurt!"

Link nodded. "Don't worry. I've got this."

Yunobo looked down on Link with a worried expression, biting his lip before focusing his attention back on the blight and letting out a wordless shout as he pushed outwards, the shield erupting around them and throwing the blight back a few feet. Link instantly darted towards the disorientated monster, coming around behind it and jumping like he did before, stabbing the spear into the blight's back and letting go of the weapon as he landed back on the ground. Now both his spear and his sword were stuck in the blight's back, but while the monster shrieked and writhed in pain, Link jumped again, grabbing onto his sword and using his weight to tear a jagged line down the blight's back as the force of his jumped ripped his sword from it's flesh. Liquid malice poured from the blight's open wound, causing it to seizure uncontrollably and shriek inhumanly.

"Zelda, now!" Link cried, sprinting out of the way as the blight flung about.

Zelda took a step forward, opening her eyes as she had been standing still with them closed just moments before. Her eyes both flashed golden for a moment and she raised her hand, letting out a wordless cry as her golden power surged from her palm and enveloped the blight in its light. Link quickly shielded his eyes, feeling the sheer amount of power as it ruffled his hair and threatened to blow him right off of Rudania.

Soon the light faded, and everything was eerily silent. Link opened his eyes, seeing Zelda first, who was breathing hard but was smiling brightly. However, her smile faded and her eyes widened as she looked forward. Link followed her line of sight and his jaw dropped.

The blight was still hovering exactly where it had been before, staring Zelda down with it's single blue eye. Except now it was surrounded by a large, spherical shield exactly like Daruk's Protection. It twitched its head and hovered the flame in its hand over its blade, causing it to glow a startling orange before straightening and letting out a thunderous roar in defiance.

Zelda looked just as stunned as Link felt. Her face was pale, and her gaze drifted down to her hand that had released her torrent of power. "I… don't understand." She murmured as the blight approached, just about to attack.

"Zelda, look out!" Link cried, snapping himself out of his stunned daze and sprinting towards Zelda, pushing her out of the way and raising his shield as the blight let loose a burst of flame towards him from its open palm.

Link crouched behind his small shield as the flames hit it, feeling the heat increase immediately. The shield wasn't big enough to guard his whole body, and he felt the metal of his armor heating up and burning his legs. He gritted his teeth in pain but stayed still until the flames ceased, slowly standing and wincing as his legs throbbed in pain.

"Link!" Zelda exclaimed, rushing towards him and pulling him out of the way as the blight let loose another fiery attack. "Are you okay?" Zelda asked hurriedly.

Nodding, Link quickly changed Zelda's focus away from him. "Zelda, what happened? Why didn't your power work?" He asked, trying to keep his voice calm even though his heart was thumping violently in panic.

Zelda shook her head. "I don't know! I-Look out!" She suddenly shouted, pulling Link again as they both sprinted out of the way of more flames from the blight. "I have to try again, but I can't with it protected with a shield like that! I didn't even know it had one!"

Link looked up at the blight and its shield that surrounded it, his brow creasing. "We need to find a way to get inside that thing."

"But if it was able to block my sealing power, then what can make it through?" Zelda asked as they sprinted out of the way of another attack.

"I…" Link trailed away, turning to look at Zelda. He didn't have any ideas and felt completely helpless. "I don't know!"

Just then they found themselves before the main control unit, where Yunobo was still crouched behind. "What's going on, goro? Wasn't that light supposed to finish that thing off?" The young goron asked, his voice wobbling with noticeable fear.

Link and Zelda came behind the unit to catch their breaths as the blight let out another roar. "We don't know… we can't get inside that shield, but we need to find a way." Zelda quickly explained. Just then a large gust of continuous wind began blowing past the trio and towards the blight, and when they all peeked out from behind the unit, they found gusts of wind and fire getting sucked into the blight's shield and circling it as a ball of fire was gradually growing in its hand.

"What is it doing?!" Link shouted above the roar of the wind.

Zelda narrowed her eyes up at the blight as wind continued to surge inwards towards it, the ball of fire in its hand slowly growing bigger and bigger. A light then seemed to go off in Zelda's head as her eyes widened and she gasped. "I know what to do!" She exclaimed excitedly, pulling out the Sheikah Slate and summoning a remote bomb. She then stood and came out from behind the unit, throwing the bomb towards the blight with a grunt.

The blue bomb instantly got caught in the current of wind, going through the shield and circling around the blight. Zelda then held up the slate and activated the bomb, making it explode right in the monster's face. The blight shrieked in pain and surprise, the shield disappearing as it fell onto the back of Rudania, and the winds grew calm and stale once more.

Zelda then dropped the Sheikah Slate and closed her eyes again, bringing her hands together in a prayer like gesture before taking a deep breath and opening her eyes again, raising her palm as it began to shine. The blight was just recovering from the blast when Zelda's power erupted towards it once again, engulfing the monster in its blinding light. The blight released an ear-piercing shriek as it began to burn from existence, before the light finally diminished and the beast was gone. The spear that had been burrowed into its back clinked sharply as it landed on the back of Rudania, having nothing to hold it up in the air any longer.

Slowly lowering her hand, Zelda let out an exhausted breath and began swaying on her feet. Link quickly got to her side, helping her stay standing as Yunobo rushed towards them as well.

"You two did it, goro!" The young goron cried, cheering and laughing happily.

Zelda smiled weakly. "Thanks to you too, Yunobo. You helped."

Link nodded. "If it weren't for you, I could've died." He said with a smile of his own.

Taking another deep breath, Zelda turned with Link's help as the trio all faced the main control unit, now free from the malice that had circled around it just moments before. "Now we've got to activate the unit." Zelda said, turning her head to look at the Sheikah Slate that lay on the ground.

"I got it!" Yunobo exclaimed as he stepped forward and picked the slate up. It was comically small in his giant hand, so much so that just his two fingers he was using covered the device completely. He dropped the Slate into Link's open hand with a beaming smile on his face, taking a step back when Link shook his head and offered the Slate back to the young Goron.

"You should do it. You are Daruk's descendant, after all." He said with a grin.

Yunobo's face brightened immensely as his grin widened. "You mean it, goro?"

Zelda nodded. "Of course! You get the honors."

"Thank you! Thank you, goro!" Yunobo exclaimed, taking the Slate back from Link and hurrying to the control pad. He quickly placed the slab of Sheikah Tech onto the control pad and lifted it off as it flashed blue, which turned the main control unit from it's orange color to the same cool blue. Yunobo gasped in awe and took a few steps back, while Link and Zelda smiled up at the unit. It was relieving to finally have another Divine Beast cleansed. And for Daruk…

"Great work, all of you!" A booming voice sounded behind them. Link and Zelda both turned to find the Goron champion, Daruk, standing before them with a giant grin on his face. Yunobo turned as well, letting out another gasp. Link glanced over his shoulder to better see the young Goron who was behind them, and the look of shock and disbelief made his smile grow just a bit more. It must be incredible for the young Goron to see his ancestor, let alone the famous Goron champion.

Link turned back to face Daruk, locking eyes with his friend. Daruk's grin widened. "I owe you all big for this. Because of you, my spirit is finally free. Can't thank you enough!" The champion exclaimed, his smile faltering just a bit as he scratched the top of his head. "I feel like I should apologize…" He began, regarding the small group with a guilty expression.

Zelda stepped forward slightly. "For what? You didn't do anything wrong." She said, her hands clasped over her chest. Link felt his stomach lurch. _No… it was something he didn't do. _He thought to himself, biting the inside of his cheek to keep his lip from trembling. The weight of it all came crashing down around him. This was Daruk. His friend that he could count on. His brother.

Daruk let out a big sigh. "You're right, little Princess. I was doing all I could to protect Hyrule when that thing got the best of me." His guilty expression turned a bit more lighthearted when he gave them all a wobbly smile. "Sorry that me resting with the rubble caused such a mess."

Another lurch in Link's stomach forced him to step forward, shaking his head furiously. "No! Daruk it's-" His words got caught in his throat, but he forced them out. He would not leave until he had said what he needed to. What he wanted to. "It's not your fault. It's mine." When Link caught Zelda opening her mouth to say something, he placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head and turning his attention back to Daruk.

"I wasn't strong enough to beat Ganon. I wasn't strong enough to face him at Hyrule Castle, and because of that, you… suffered. And I…" Link hesitated, taking a deep breath as he felt his eyes threatening to water. "I am so sorry. I wish it wasn't like this. I wish things could be different. I wish you were still alive, and we could beat Ganon together… That was the plan, right? I'm so sorry Daruk.. I-" His words were cut short by Daruk, who raised a hand in the air to silence him. Despite everything, a comforting smile was still on the Goron's face.

"Listen, little guy, everything is not your fault." The Goron champion began, "If you feel the need to apologize for anything, then that's fine by me, but I won't allow you to beat yourself up about me. You, the princess, and my descendant got Rudania back under our control! That's good news, right? And you're right 'bout that whole Ganon thing. Now that you and the princess are back and kickin', our century-old Ganon beat-down plan can finally go into effect! Once you've gotten the rest of 'em champions back and runnin', you and the princess are gonna head to Hyrule Castle and we're gonna light that thing up!" Daruk raised his fist into the air, a determited, confident look on his face.

Link couldn't believe it. _How can he be so sure? We haven't even helped Urbosa and Revali yet, and the Master Sword… _Link thought to himself, taking a shaky breath. _No… he's right. Zelda and I are doing all we can. We won't fail again. _

"Daruk…" Zelda began, "It's been wonderful seeing you again." She said with a soft smile. Link nodded in agreement.

The Goron champion chortled. "Same to you, princess. You know, when the little guy there first got onto Rudania, I told him that you're a fiery princess and that you can face anything! I hope you realize that I still believe that."

The smile on Zelda's face grew and she nodded. "Of course." She said with a sort of quiet reverence.

"Now…I'm gonna take Rudania 'ere down the mountain. I'll have a better shot at Ganon there." Daruk said, his smile turning more serious. Link sensed that this was goodbye, and his stomach lurched painfully once more. He wasn't ready to leave his brother yet.

"Wait!" Yunobo suddenly cried, a look of regret coming over his face as Daruk, Link and Zelda all turned their attention to him. "I-So-You're… you're the real Goron champion! The real Daruk!" Yunobo sputtered in surprise.

Daruk let out a hearty laugh. "Who else would I be?" He replied in his booming voice. "And since you're my descendant, I expect you to take good care of the Gorons, eh?"

Yunobo stood up a little straighter and nodded furiously, almost bowing. "Yes sir! Yes I'll take care of them! I'll do it for you sir!"

Seemingly satisfied, Daruk nodded and looked back to Link and Zelda. "Well, looks like I'll have to be leavin' soon. Or rather, you three will be needin' to leave, heh."

Right as he said that Link noticed a familiar sensation come over him, and when he looked down at his hands, he saw them slowly turning to the same golden dust that had whisked him and Zelda away from Mipha. A surge of panic came over him and he looked back up at Daruk. He wasn't ready to say goodbye yet! He needed more time!

"Wait, Daruk!" Zelda cried, half of their bodies already covered by the golden dust.

The Goron champion then seemed to remember something. "Oh! And remember, from this moment forth, the power of protection from the depths of my soul, now lives inside you two." He said with a large grin, pounding his chest with his fist. "Good luck!"

_The power of protection? What does that mean? _Link thought, not having time to open his mouth before the golden dust turned to a blinding light, and the sight of the Goron champion was lost to him.


	17. Into Akkala

**Hnnnnng quarantine sucks. But! It also doesn't because now I've got more time to write haha! Hope y'all are staying sane with all of this stuff going on, and safe too!**

The golden light slowly faded away as Link opened his eyes, finding himself back at the entrance of Goron City, with Zelda and Yunobo standing next to him. Yunobo gasped loudly when he opened his eyes, even jumping back a bit. "Woah! We're back in Goron City, goro!" He exclaimed, looking around wildly.

"Daruk brought us back," Zelda explained shortly, glancing over at Link who was staring at his feet.

He didn't say anything for a while, with the only sounds being Yunobo's little gasps and sounds of wonder, mixed in with the life of Goron City. But all of those sounds were lost to Link. He was too busy trying to sort out the many feelings and thoughts that were running wild in his head. Even though he still felt the heavy guilt for Daruk's death, the Champion's comforting words sounded loud and proud throughout it all, reassuring him that everything would be okay. It sounded like Daruk was satisfied and content, so shouldn't Link be too? _Yes_, Link finally decided, _Zelda and I did all we could. I shouldn't feel guilty, but rather… _A determined sense came over Link, and he looked up to meet Zelda's gaze. "We did it." He said with a small smile. _...but rather… I should feel proud. _

Zelda returned the expression with a smile of her own and nodded. "We did it." She repeated with a reverent tone.

Just then the familiar, gurgling roar of Rudania thundered from Death Mountain, and the Divine Beast soon appeared over the rim of the volcano, settling itself on the edge. It pointed its head towards Hyrule Castle in the far distance, and it's head split open so that it looked more like a flower before a red beam shot out from it and connected with the castle. The trio stared at the beam in awe, Link and Zelda smiling triumphantly. Rudania was back on their side, with Daruk to pilot it. And it might have been a trick of his eyes, but Link swore he could see a tiny dot of a figure standing on top of Rudania. It didn't take long for him to realize it was Daruk himself. Link's smile grew.

"Wow! Rudania! Is it good now, goro?" Yunobo asked, staring up at the Divine Beast with an open mouth.

"Yes… it is. Daruk is piloting it again, thanks to us." Zelda answered with another nod, her smile tainted with mourning for the lost Champion.

Yunobo let out a squeal of excitement. "That's incredible, goro! And I got to see the great Daruk! He really was there! And you two were amazing!" The young Goron gasped, "We need to go tell this to the Boss, goro! He'll be so proud!"

With Link and Zelda nodding, Yunobo grinned and took the lead, walking quickly through Goron City. The Goron Boss was pacing outside of his home, as usual, mumbling incoherent words to himself as he did so. Yunobo called out to the Boss to catch his attention, rushing towards him and waiting for Link and Zelda to catch up.

"Hm?" The Boss hummed, turning towards the trio and letting out a grunt. "Hey! It's the little Hylian girl and Yunobo! You two just left a day ago, and you…" He turned to Link, "You've been gone for days! Where in Daruk's name have you been, eh?"

Link rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, although there was really no reason to be embarrassed. "I was in Rudania."

"For all that time?" The Boss exclaimed, "Then I'm guessin' you kept that beast at bay while Yunobo and Zelda 'ere got back to ya?"

Yunobo nodded, answering for Link. "Link stayed in there all by himself to help get Rudania back on our side, then I took Zelda there to help finish the job!"

"Is that so? Color me impressed." The Boss said in his gruff voice, keeping his gaze locked on Link for a while longer before regarding the full trio. "Well then you three conquered Rudania...But good grief… did ya have to do it just when my back pain went away? I was all ready and rollin' to go at Rudania myself!" The Boss said angrily, catching them all off guard.

"Now you've gone and made it look like I was just fibbin' about my back pain this whole time! Imagine that! ME! Gwa ha ha!" He suddenly laughed, making the trio helplessly confused even as the old Goron continued, "Oh! And I'm also happy to see Yunobo finally got his act together. I know that's you two Hylians doing, as well." He then thumped his fist onto the rocky ground, "But enough back-patting and other such nonsense. Take a look at this!" He gestured up to Rudania perched on Death Mountain.

"The Divine Beast Vah Rudania has calmed down and returned to its peaceful ways. Now we can get back to diggin' for ore around Death Mountain." The Boss returned his attention back to Link and Zelda, his eyes widening as if he just remembered something. "Oh, right! I've still gotta thank you two in some way! I'll have Yunobo prepare something to get you two back on the road." He paused, his eyes narrowing at the two Hylians. "Say… you two look familiar, now that I think about it… Ah! You're that Hylian Princess, and you're the Hylian Champion!" He exclaimed suddenly, letting out another hearty laugh.

Link and Zelda glanced at each other with surprised expressions, not sure how to take his reaction. So they both just stayed quiet and continued to listen to the Goron Boss. Link couldn't help but stay smiling, chuckling inwardly at the Boss' attitude. It seemed so Goron to want to help with cleansing Rudania, then to just laugh it off anyway. Link glanced over at Zelda again to see if she found this as humorous as he did, but she wasn't smiling. There was something in her eyes that he couldn't quite place, but when she caught him looking at her, she flashed an obviously fake smile. There was something going on, Link could tell, but he didn't have enough time to think about it before the Boss stopped laughing and spoke up again.

"Say… aren't ya supposed to be wieldin' a special sword? The sword that seals the darkness, eh?" The old Goron asked Link, rubbing his chin in thought.

Link felt his stomach clench at the mention of the Master Sword, and his current worries about Zelda were forgotten for the time being. "...Yes… Zelda and I were going to go fetch it after traveling to Akkala." He said hesitantly.

"Hmm...Well, glad to hear it, brother!" He exclaimed, nodding in satisfaction. "Now Yunobo, get somethin' together for these two and send 'em on their way."

Yunobo stood up straighter and saluted the Boss. "Right, goro! Link, Zelda, follow me!" He exclaimed, turning and marching off. The two Hylians nodded and turned, waving to Goron Boss before following close behind Yunobo. Link chuckled at the young Goron's energetic and exaggerated marching, noticing that Zelda wasn't doing the same, making Link's worry for her only grow. He made a mental note to talk to her about it once they were done here in Goron City.

They soon arrived at the same spare home where Link and Zelda had first changed into their flamebreaker armor before heading off to Rudania. As Yunobo went to a few crates and began looking through them, Link picked up his pile of clothes and Zelda's, which was considerably tidier, and handed them to her. She nodded in thanks.

"I've been waiting to give this to you two ever since I found out you were the Hylian Champion, and you the Princess, goro." Yunobo says, leaning into one of the crates and lifting something out of it. It looked like a slab of metal. "Here you go!" He turned around and handed the gift to Zelda. Link stared it down, and now that he had gotten a better look at it, he could see that it was incredibly thin slabs of metal held together by ringlets. Crudely scratched onto the top slate were the words "Daruk's Diary" with the 'Diary' roughly scratched out and replaced with "Training Journal".

Zelda let out a gasp once she read the words, and Link's eyes widened before his head snapped back up to Yunobo. "Yunobo… where did you get this?" He asked in surprise.

Yunobo had the largest grin on his face. "Someone found it while mining and brought it to the Boss, goro. The Boss gave it to me since I'm Daruk's descendant. I thought I would give it to you two as a thank you gift!"

Hugging the diary to her chest, Zelda smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Yunobo. This means a lot."

Link's initial surprise faded into excitement. Now he would always have a little piece of Daruk's legacy to treasure himself. He nodded along with what Zelda said. "It really does." He told the young Goron with a grin.

Yunobo nodded. "Of course, goro! It was the least I could do." He paused, noticing the clothes that both Link and Zelda were holding. "You two should get some bags to make carrying all of that stuff easier." He rushed back to the crates, rummaging around before lifting up a bag to go over the shoulder for Zelda, and then a bag to go on the back for Link. "Here!" He set the bags in Link and Zelda's arms, placing his giant hands on his hips in satisfaction.

Zelda and Link each slipped their clothes into their designated bags, with Zelda still holding the diary to her chest. "Again, thank you." She said with a thankful nod.

"Don't mention it, goro. Now, you two should be on your way." Yunobo said, taking a step forward and pushing Link and Zelda towards the entrance. The Boss had been right; Yunobo was way more confident now. Perhaps it was because he had personally met his ancestor, or perhaps it was because he helped in cleansing Rudania. Either way, Link had to admit that he liked the new Yunobo. Hopefully, the young Goron would stay that way, even after they left.

"It feels so good to be out of that armor!" Zelda exclaimed, stretching her arms out before relaxing and pulling her bag back onto her shoulder. "Those things were horrible."

Link chuckled, slipping a bright silver rupee into his own bag before situating it back onto his back as they walked along the path away from the Foothill Stable. "I'll say! Sleeping in it was a nightmare."

The two Hylians had just changed out of their flamebreaker armor at the stable, selling it to a merchant who was planning on trekking up to Death Mountain themselves the next day. They had made quite the profit, gaining 400 rupees for each armor set, or 8 silver rupees in total. They had both decided to split the rupees and each keep 4, just in case something happened to whoever would've been holding both. However, Zelda was keeping the extra 130 rupees they had gained from selling the luminous stones to Beedle, and buying another empty flask for Link, as Zelda already had one. After filling their flasks with freshwater, eating a quick lunch, and finishing off the dried meat strips that the Gorons had given Zelda, they had both gotten back onto the trail, setting their sights on Akkala.

Zelda sighed. "I can't imagine what it must have been like for you in Rudania, activating all of the terminals by yourself, fending off… that yiga member, and spending all of that time waiting… I'm sorry."

"Zelda, you've said sorry too many times to count." Link chuckled, giving her a bright smile. "Really, don't worry about it. You got hurt, so you had a good reason to take a while."

They both fell quiet for a moment after that, walking along the trail as dark clouds began to gather in the sky above them. Link glanced up, frowning a bit before reaching into his bag to take a quick drink from his flask. As he did so he caught Zelda watching him out of the corner of his eye. He lowered his flask and turned to face her, wondering if she intended to tell him something. Apparently, she did.

"When I got hurt…" She began, with Link nodding to have her continue, "I remembered Daruk."

A small smile broke out on Link's face. "That's great."

Zelda nodded, looking up and noticing the dark clouds. "I was recruiting him to pilot Rudania. Oh, and he saved a dog from a group of Bokoblins." She chuckled, "I loved the little dog, but Daruk was uh… hesitant to pet him." Her smile fell from her face and she looked away, although Link wasn't sure why she would be sad about the fact that Daruk didn't like dogs. He then remembered how she had been acting in Goron City, and how he had planned on talking to her about it. However, this didn't seem like the time to bring it up, so he pushed it aside for now and chuckled instead to try and lighten the mood.

"But I thought no monster stood a chance against the great Daruk!" He said with a rough edge to it, imitating the Goron's voice, watching Zelda closing, hoping this would lift her spirits. His smile grew when she laughed, and he nudged her playfully. "But seriously, I'm glad you remember. It feels good, doesn't it."

"To remember?"  
"Mhm."

A look between that of reverence, wistfulness, and mourning came over her. "It is. It really is."

Soon after that, the two Hylians came to a crossroads, and with a glance at their map on the Sheikah Slate, Zelda directed them onto the path towards Akkala. The path was made up of a ruined road and gravel, which was slowly arching upwards in a slight ascent. It ran alongside vertical, gray cliffs that surrounded Zora's Domain.

As they traveled along, the clouds above them darkened dangerously, threatening to rain. Link nudged Zelda, looking up at the sky. "Think we should find shelter?" He asked.

Zelda frowned up at the clouds. "Probably." She nodded, and they continued along, now trying to spot anything that could work as shelter as the storm clouds continued to slowly gather above their heads.

The day continued, the air growing steadily cooler with the storm rolling in. "So where exactly is this memory that we're going to?" Link asked, glancing worriedly up at the clouds.

Zelda pulled out the Sheikah Slate in response, opening up the map and zooming in on where one of the stable hands from the Foothill Stable had directed them too once they had shown them the picture of the memory they were now trying to find.

Once she found the location she handed the Slate to Link, pointing it out to him. Link brought the Slate closer to his face, reading out the name of the place out loud. "The Spring of Power, huh?" He handed the Slate back to Zelda. "I've gotta admit, just the name sounds very familiar. I might just pass out into another memory thinking about it." He joked.

"Yeah… maybe." Zelda muttered, a faraway look in her eyes.

Link frowned a bit. "Hey… you okay?"

Seemingly snapping out of a daze, Zelda looked over at him. "Huh? Oh… yeah-no, I'm good."

"No, you're not." He began, not even noticing the couple of raindrops that began to fall around him.

Zelda, however, did notice. "We should find some shelter." She said hurriedly, quickening her pace so that she was farther ahead.

Watching her golden hair shift slightly as a crisp breeze began to blow around them, Link hurried to catch up with Zelda as the raindrops doubled around them. "Zelda, you said we would talk about these things. You know, if something was bothering us." Link said, trying to get eye contact. But Zelda simply increased her pace, holding a hand above her head to try and provide some shelter from the steadily increasing rainfall. Link fell back behind her again, and he pulled out his Guardian shield, activated it, and held it over his head like an umbrella. It worked surprisingly well.

"Zelda!" Link called after her again as the rain suddenly increased to a violent downpour, the wind now ferocious and wild. Narrowing his eyes from the storm's sudden intensity, Link ran towards Zelda, who had stopped and was trying to shield herself from the storm with both arms. Link internally groaned in frustration. Talking about what whatever was bothering Zelda would have to wait. Now, they needed to find shelter from this storm. And fast.

Shutting his mouth and grabbing Zelda's hand instead, Link passed the Guardian shield to her and began to lead her through the storm, gritting his teeth as the wind fought against him. His clothes were completely soaked through by now, and he felt his bag's weight increase from the rainwater it soaked up as well.

Both Hylians now running up the slope and trying to keep their footing on the slick, ruined road, Link continued to lead Zelda, spotting the silhouette of what looked like building ruins up ahead. Heart thumping in relief, Link pushed himself harder, still holding Zelda's hand tightly in his own. As they came closer to the ruins, Link set his eyes onto a corner of a stone building, with only two walls and a ceiling standing. Perfect. He glanced over his shoulder to Zelda, who was holding the shield up to guard her against the pelting rain. "There's shelter up ahead! We just have to-WOAH!" A sudden burst of ice exploded right in front of Link, making him skid to a halt and look around wildly. His heart sunk.

They were surrounded by monsters. There was a Moblin to his right and his left, both wielding rusted swords, with one Bokoblin standing on top of the corner building Link had set his eyes on before, with two more Bokoblins in front of him holding crude wooden clubs. The Bokoblin on top of the ruined corner let out a screech, stringing another arrow, except… it wasn't a normal arrow. Link's eyes widened and he tightened his grip on Zelda's hand before turning and trying to sprint the way they had come, but a sudden icy chill sprung up his spine.

He found that he couldn't move, and it felt like his foot was frozen to the bone. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing that his foot was indeed frozen; it was engulfed in ice that spread across the ground like a spider's web, holding him captive. He felt Zelda's hand leave his as she had now pulled out her Sheikah Slate, already having frozen the Bokoblin with the bow with her stasis rune, but it was already starting to blink.

"Those are ice arrows!" She exclaimed just as the Moblin closest to them approached. Link's stomach tightened and he tried to tug his foot out of the ice with both hands but to no avail. So he instead straightened, pulled out his bow, strung it, and let a fire arrow loose at the Moblin. It pegged the monster right in the snout, making it stumble back and cry out horribly. The other monsters became furious, screeching and roaring in dissonant harmony.

Adrenaline rushing, Link went to grab another fire arrow to melt the ice around his foot but found that there were no fire arrows left. In fact, there weren't any arrows left at all. Now near panicking, Link took out his Guardian sword, activated it and began stabbing at the ice, finally breaking free just as the Bokoblin with the bow broke out of the stasis, and the other two Bokoblins lunged at him. He stumbled backward, narrowly avoiding getting clubbed in the head. Glaring at the two monsters, Link then jumped forward with a counter-attack, stabbing one of the Bokoblins in the shoulder before turning and slicing his shining blade across the other Bokoblins chest. Both screeched out in pain and hesitated to attack, giving Link enough time to realize Zelda wasn't by him anymore.

However, he didn't have time to try and look for her through the downpour before the archer Bokoblin let lose another ice arrow, narrowly missing Link's head. That jump-started him back into action. The two Bokoblins were now back on the offensive, attacking Link in rapid turns. Link managed to defend himself fairly well, even without his shield, which was still with Zelda, but not good enough. As he thrust his sword at the Bokoblin to his right, the other jumped behind him and whacked him harshly on the side, the blow making him lose his footing and fall onto his side.

The other Bokoblin he had just thrust his sword at before then jumped at him, and he rolled out of the way just in time, but as he got onto his feet, a sharp pain erupted in his chest, making him cry out and fall back onto the ground. One of the Moblins had been waiting right in front of him for him to get onto his feet, slashing its sword across his chest as he did so. He hadn't seen it because of the rain that was now coming down in sheets.

Feeling blood trickling down his chest from the open wound, Link hastily crawled backward out of the way as the Moblin stabbed its sword into the ground, however, as its blade made contact with the stone ground, the blade broke in half, making the monster toss the useless weapon aside and stalk towards Link instead. The other two Bokoblins did the same, preparing to finish him off with their clubs.

Gritting his teeth, Link tried to get to his feet, but before he could an ice arrow landed right by his hand, with an eruption of ice to freeze it to the ground quickly following. Link gasped from the cold ice as it crawled up his arm, making it so that he couldn't budge. He tried to tug it free, but to no avail, and now one of the Bokoblins had leaped into the air to land a violent blow to his head that would surely knock him out.

But in the blink of an eye, Link had whipped out his Guardian sword, holding it above him just as the Bokoblin landed. The blade pierced through the monster's body, with it immediately going limp. Link grimaced from the smell of the monster's lifeless body before moving it to the side of him. The other Bokoblin and the Moblin hesitated having seen one of their comrades fall, growling menacingly instead. Just then a screech from the archer Bokoblin made Link glance over, expecting to see an ice arrow flying towards him. Instead, the monster fell forward off of the corner of the building, landing in a mangled position that told Link the Bokoblin was dead. Zelda was now standing on top of the building, holding a soldier's spear in her hands and panting. The Moblin Link hit with a fire arrow earlier was nowhere to be seen. Zelda must have finished it off as well while Link was occupied with the other monsters.

Relief flooded through Link before vanishing when the Moblin in front of him turned and charged towards Zelda while the Bokoblin took its opportunity to swing its club at Link's head. Link saw this and ducked just in time, his arm twisting painfully as he did so as it was still frozen in ice. He then retaliated at the Bokoblin with a stab of his Guardian sword, managing to stab it in its stomach. The monster shrieked and backed off again, just as he heard Zelda cry out in pain.

His head immediately snapped up and he violently tried to pull his arm out of the ice again, but only managed to pull on it painfully. Zelda was on the ground, presumably having fallen off because of the Moblin. The Moblin was now winding back its leg to kick at the disorientated Zelda, buck Link hastily drew back his arm holding the Guardian sword and threw it, pegging the monster in the back. The monster cried out in pain, trying to reach the sword with its arms while stumbling around blindly. Zelda recovered from falling and leaped to her feet, picked up her spear, and stabbed the Moblin in its chest. The monster let out one last roar of defiance and pain before collapsing, defeated.

Link sighed in relief, mostly from seeing Zelda safe. Zelda looked over at Link, smiling brightly in victory before gasping. "Watch out!" She cried. Link frowned in confusion just when an overwhelming pain exploded in the back of his head, immediately rendering him unconscious.

_Cold. He was really, really cold. Wait- no… hot. He was really, really hot. Now cold… hot… cold… Link gasped and opened his eyes, frowning when he saw nothing. Then a bright red flame erupted to his right, making him gasp despite himself. The heat washed over him immediately, and he began to sweat from the intensity of it. Then a blue flame burst to life to his left, and he was suddenly unbearably cold. He began to shiver before the heat increased to his right, making half of him dangerously hot while the blue flame fought back, making his other half freezing cold. The two sides continued to increase, overstimulating Link's nerves and making him cry out in pain. _

_He fell onto the ground, closing his eyes and curling in on himself to stop the pain when it suddenly ceased to be. He opened his eyes again, widening them when he saw to his right the behemoth of Rudania, then to his left Ruta. Both Divine Beasts towered above him, glowing in their vibrant pink that they had before he and Zelda had cleansed them. Link hesitantly got back onto his feet, eying the two Beasts cautiously. _

"_Link." Someone called his name from behind, making him whirl around. His heart lurched in his chest when he saw Mipha, standing a ways away and more to his left. Her face was strangely calm, with the little green flames floating and dancing around her feet. "Why did you leave?" She asked, her soft voice echoing around him. _

"_Leave?" Link repeated, his own voice sounding strange. "What do you mean?" It then hit him as to why his voice sounded so wrong. It wasn't echoing. _

"_You left me," Mipha said, the hurt in her voice clear. Then a bright light flashed to Link's right, Daruk appearing once it faded. Little flames identical to Mipha's danced around him as well. _

"_Daruk-" Link began, blinking in surprise when the Goron Champion cut him off. _

"_Don't speak to me," Daruk growled, his voice filled with venom. Link took a step back in surprise, still feeling the power of the Divine Beasts radiating behind him. _

"_But I-" Link tried again, but Mipha cut him off this time. _

"_You left me." She repeated, her voice sounding identical to when she had said it before. _

_Daruk continued to glare directly at Link as Mipha continued to repeat that single line. "I can't believe I ever called you my brother-"_

"_You left me-"_

"_You're spineless, eh? Always stumbling around like Cucco without a head-"_

"_You left me-"_

"_How have you managed to survive this long?"_

"_You left me-"_

"_Link!" _

_Link blinked. That was a different voice. Where was it coming from? But Daruk and Mipha simply continued as if nothing had happened. _

"_You left me-"_

"_No wonder you don't have the Master Sword yet. I'm even surprised you've gotten this far."_

"_You left me-"_

"_Link!" _

_There it was again! The voice. It was so familiar. But why?_

"_Some brother you are, pest."_

"_You left me. You left me. You left me. You left-"_

"_STOP!" Link suddenly yelled, shutting his eyes from the strain of the shout. Silence._

Gasping and opening his eyes, Link found that he was lying on his back, breathing hard. When his vision focused and he saw Zelda leaning over him, he sighed and closed his eyes again. Another nightmare.

"Are you okay?" Zelda asked, still leaning over him.

Link opened his eyes again and tried to sit up, but he suddenly felt extremely lightheaded and his vision swam before him. He groaned and lied back down, just now noticing the slight sting from his cut on his chest that was now covered in a bandage and his hand that was freezing cold by his side. Why was it cold? He turned his head slightly, seeing that they were underneath that corner of the ruined building. The rain was still going steadily, but it seemed to be letting up. He saw a chunk of ice a few yards away, and that was when everything came rushing back to him.

"It was the Bokoblin, wasn't it." He said softly, finding it too difficult to speak up. He found that he was extremely uncomfortable lying on his back so he sat up again, and with Zelda's help, situated himself so that he was leaning against the wall but still sitting. Zelda nodded and pulled out Link's flask of water from his bag and handed it to him.

"Yeah, he snuck up behind you." She said, "So I finished it off and dragged you under here. You've been out for almost two hours. It wasn't until you started moving in your sleep that I tried to wake you up." She paused, leaning against the other wall, but the space under the ceiling wasn't that big, so they were still close together. She pulled out her own flask of water, taking a quick drink before asking, "I'm guessing it was another nightmare?"

Frowning, Link reluctantly nodded. "It was just a short one."

"I wish there was something I could do to help. To make them stop." Zelda said with a tinge of guilt in her tone.

Link shook his head. "No… There isn't anything you can do. Besides, you said you're having them too."

She looked down at the flask in her hand. "Yeah." She said quietly.

Link's face softened. "You also seem to have something on your mind. I tried talking to you about it before, but then the storm came, and… all of that."

Zelda's hands tightened on her flask, and she looked away at the ground. "It's nothing."

"No, it's obviously something. Please tell me. You said that we would tell each other these things, right? Maybe I can help."

"I know you can help, but it's something I know you've been struggling with too, and I don't want to put that on you." Zelda said, finally looking back up at Link.

"Well if it is something I'm struggling with, then that's a perfect reason for me to help!"

Zelda let out a sigh. "It's just… it's… it's about what you said in Rudania. You know… what you said to Daruk."

Link took a moment to think back, his eyes widening in surprise when he remembered what he had said to the Goron Champion. How he had felt so guilty about Daruk's death, and how he felt that everything was his fault. "You feel guilty too?" He asked after a moment, and Zelda's knuckles turned white with how tight she was clutching her flask.

"Of course I feel guilty!" She exclaimed, looking away and lowering her tone. "I know I struggled with my sealing power 100 years ago, and I think that is why we couldn't face off against Calamity Ganon. I don't know for sure, but especially after hearing about the Spring of Power and the Spring of Wisdom back at East Gate, and that it was those springs where I prayed to unlock my power, I only feel more and more guilty every day. But… it's weird because I don't fully understand _why_. Maybe I struggled with unlocking my power back then, but look at me now! I've used it twice! I'm sure I was able to use it back then too, just not as efficient."

Link stayed quiet as Zelda spoke, listening intently. When she fell silent, he set his flask down and placed a comforting hand on her leg as he looked into her eyes. "Well, no matter what happened back then, I want you to know that you're the strongest person I know." He said, giving her a small smile as he continued, "And even if it was all your fault, which I'm sure it wasn't, at least we can both reassure each other that what we're doing now is making up for it. It's like what Daruk told us. Now that we're freeing the Champions, we can finally beat Calamity Ganon, and we'll win."

A small smile broke out across Zelda's face. "You're right." She said quietly, slipping her flask back into her bag and looking out at the rain. The storm had finally calmed just a bit, with it only being a light rainfall now. The sun had also reached the horizon, casting long shadows throughout the ruins and tainting the ground in elegant colors. Looking back down, Zelda let out a little sigh. "But how can you be so sure?"

Link chuckled quietly and scratched the back of his head. "I'm not. I'm just trying to mimic Daruk's optimistic attitude."

That made Zelda laugh a bit, and she situated herself into a more relaxed position. "You're doing a pretty good job."

"Really?"

"Well… past the whole 'blaming yourself for everything,' then yeah. Really."

Chuckling again, Link stretched out his arms and let out a yawn. "That's good."

There was silence for a moment. Link was looking out at the rain, still holding his flask of water, while Zelda had taken out the Sheikah Slate and was looking through the pictures. After a few more minutes Link let out another yawn, and Zelda slipped the Slate back into her bag.

"We should get some rest." She said.

Link rubbed an eye with his fist. "What gives you that idea?" He said with a joking smile.

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Gee, I wonder."

And with that, the two Hylians situated themselves so that they both fit comfortably underneath the portion of the roof that kept them dry from the rain, using their bags as pillows. They were facing each other, Link closest to the outside, with a good few feet between them, and Zelda smiled just a bit.

"Goodnight." She said quietly, curling up slightly and getting comfortable before closing her eyes.

Link watched her for a moment, feeling genuinely happy. He hadn't felt that for a while. Sure he smiled and joked here and then, but there was always something weighing on his mind. Something heavy. But now he felt completely at peace. Of course there was still the nagging reminder of the Champions, their deaths and sufferings… but for now, Link was positive he was going to have a good night's rest. For once.

The next morning came slowly and calmly without any interruptions. Groaning in protest to his body waking, Link took a deep breath through his nose and opened his eyes, slowly letting out the breath through his mouth. He was lying on his back, staring up at the stone ceiling above him from the ruins. The morning air was crisp and fresh, most likely due to the storm from the evening before.

Yawning, Link turned over onto his side to face Zelda, a small smile on his face. "Good mor-" He cut himself off, staring at the empty space beside him. Panic immediately surged through him, making him sit up quickly and scramble out from underneath the ruins. "Zelda? Zelda!" He called out, his heart thumping wildly.

"Um… Good morning?" He heard someone say hesitantly off to his right. He spun around, finding Zelda kneeling behind a cooking pot. It was set over a flickering fire, with water inside and… monster parts?

Relief flooded through Link, and his panic faded into confusion. He stepped towards the cooking pot and crouched down in front of it, his nose wrinkling from the smell that wafted from the concoction currently boiling inside. He stood back up to get away from it, instead turning his attention to Zelda. "Sorry… I panicked when I didn't see you back there." He said, nodding his head towards the section of ruins they had slept under.

Zelda's puzzled expression from Link's earlier outburst vanished and she gave him an embarrassed smile. "Oh, sorry. I woke up before you had, so I just thought I'd try making an elixir. I used one of your fire arrows to start the fire under the pot. Sorry."

The fact that Zelda had used a fire arrow didn't faze Link. What did was the fact that the boiling heap of monster parts in front of him was supposed to be an elixir. "_That_ is an elixir?" He asked, staring at the concoction as Zelda used a stick to stir it a bit.

"Well, not yet. It still needs to cook for a while, of course. The monster parts still need to properly melt away." She explained quickly, obviously not disturbed by how absolutely disgusting it looked.

"Uh… is that what the Gorons used to help you?" Link asked hesitantly, afraid of what the answer might be.

Zelda laughed. "Goddesses no! That calls for far less harsh ingredients. This is going to increase your energy. Well… it's supposed to, anyway."

Still completely baffled, Link finally decided that he would never understand and went about looking around the rest of the ruins. His gaze stopped when he saw what was in the distance. His eyes widened at the sight of it. "Woah." He breathed, catching Zelda's attention. She followed his gaze and saw what he was looking at.

"Oh that? Those are the Akkala Citadel Ruins." She said, standing up and facing the sight herself. "Impressive, aren't they."

Link was at a loss of words. He stared up at the giant structure that stood isolated on a plateau, scattered, incoherent memories flashing in his mind. He knew that place. He had been there, but it wasn't clear… Nevertheless, it was magnificent, with towering stone walls and vibrant, orange trees dotting the rather gray landscape. However, the longer he stared at it, and the more memories that came to him, the more he realized just how destroyed the place was. _Just like everything else._ He thought to himself bitterly.

"That's where the Hyrule soldiers took their last stand against Calamity Ganon. Or at least, the Guardians he controlled." Zelda remarked quietly, with Link glancing at her for just a moment before regarding the Citadel in a new light.

He frowned, imagining what it must have been like to be one of those Hyrulean soldiers back on that fateful day… If he concentrated just hard enough, he could get just a taste. He could almost hear the echoes of the great battle that had been fought there. He could hear the shouts and barks of men as they pushed back the corrupted machines. He could hear the deafening explosion that sounded whenever a canon was fired. He could hear the strangely familiar hisses of energy as the Guardians released their deadly lasers, obliterating everything and everyone in their path.

Not wanting to dwell on such a horrible scene any longer, Link sighed and forced himself to look away. The echoes were lost to him, and he went back to where he and Zelda's bags were stored. He picked up his Guardian weapons, regarding his bow with a frown. It was incredibly crude and heavy, as it had been made by monsters, and he wished he could find something more lightweight.

Setting his stuff back down, Link wandered back out into the ruins. Zelda had kneeled down in front of her 'elixir' again, obviously content on getting it ready before they continued on their way. Link searched around the ruins, seeing the monsters from the evening before piled up in the far corner, some of their horns and tongues cut off very crudely. Apparently, Zelda hadn't just found the monster parts for her elixir.

Continuing his search, Link finally found what he was looking for. The bow that the Bokoblin had used before was lying unscathed from where it had been dropped. Link scooped it up, recognizing it as a traveler's bow. Perfect. It was extremely lightweight and fit easily onto his back. He also found six ice arrows that hadn't snapped or been used already from the Bokoblin. Those would come in handy.

Link then returned back to his stuff, strapping on his weapons, his new bow, quill of arrows, and finally his bag. He picked up Zelda's gear as well, taking it over to the cooking pot. He plopped it down beside her, surprised to see that the fire had been put out underneath the pot with dirt and the concoction was now a thick liquid. It was a strange blue-brown color, and Zelda was stirring it with a glare.

"I got your stuff. We should get going." Link said.

Zelda continued to angrily stir the elixir. "It came out all wrong." She grumbled, ignoring her gear and what Link had said. "It's supposed to be blue, not… brown."

"Then you're not going to drink it… right?"

Zelda sighed, defeated. She dropped the stick she had been stirring with onto the ground. "No. I'll have to dump it out and try again later."

"Ah. Sorry it didn't work out." Link tried for a smile, but Zelda only angrily picked up her gear and slipped her bag onto her shoulder.

She stared down at her failed elixir for a while before her face relaxed and she bent down to pick up two apples. "I at least found these. There's more growing over there." She said, handing an apple to Link with an apologetic smile. "Sorry I had to go and dirty up the pot. We probably could've used it to make a nice breakfast."

Link shrugged, rubbing the apple on his tunic and noticing the small tear on his chest from the Moblin. He made a mental note to get that sewed up as soon as possible. "Don't worry about it. Apples are great, even if we have had a lot of them."

Nodding, Zelda bent down and hesitantly touched the cooking pot to see if it was still hot. It was, and she sighed again. "We'll have to wait longer for the pot to cool off so I can dump it out."

"I say we don't worry about it."

"Really?"

Link shrugged again. "Sure. I mean, it was being used by monsters before. I don't think anyone else will find it very sanitary."

"You're probably right."

Zelda smiled a bit, straightened, and resituated her bag onto her shoulder, apple in hand. "Well then let's get going." She said brightly, taking the initiative and walking out of the ruins. Link followed after her, glancing over at the pile of dead monsters before looking back over at the Akkala Citadel. His broken memories stirred as he gazed at it, giving him a slight headache. _Curse my stupid memory. Curse it all. _He thought angrily to himself and forced himself to look away. He hurried forward so that he was walking side by side with Zelda, feeling the weight of his bag bobbing on his shoulders. Why was it so heavy? _Daruk's Diary… _Link remembered with a start, suddenly feeling guilty for having not read it yet. _I'll have to do that later._ He thought, nodding in satisfaction. He would read it later. For Daruk. But for now, he would only focus on getting to their next destination.


	18. Encounter

**I've been really excited to write this chapter and get it published! Why, might you ask? Just read to the end and you'll see why ;)**

"It's never easy for us, is it."

"Well, at least they aren't walking Guardians."

"You're right. They aren't walking, they're flying! That's way better!"

Zelda turned to Link with a huff. "I'm just trying to be optimistic here."

Link sighed. "Alright, alright. Fine. You're right, at least they aren't walking."

"Thank you," Zelda replied curtly, peeking over the boulder to scope out the area again. Link did the same, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

"What is this place, anyway?" He asked.

"The Sheikah Slate called it the Ordorac Quarry."

Link kept looking around the area, narrowing his eyes at the three flying Guardians that hovered above the ground, pink and orange light penetrating the ground underneath them like a spotlight. They reminded him of the scouts Rudania had sent out. Although, these looked much more dangerous. "Strange that they would have a quarry right next to a sacred spring." He said nonchalantly. "Either way, with those Guardians there we'll have to sneak around. I don't want to risk getting caught, especially if they're anything like the walking ones."

Standing, Link held out his hand and helped Zelda to her feet, and with a nod to each other, the two Hylians started forward, keeping to the edge of the quarry. Things were going smoothly until a flying Guardian came way too close to them for comfort. They both froze, the light from the Guardian passing within a few feet of the two. But the Guardian didn't notice them, thankfully, and so they quickly hurried along, winding through the boulders and dodging the Guardian's lights.

"This is going well," Zelda remarked happily, noticing a narrow corridor that obviously led towards the spring and taking a step forward. It wasn't until Link stepped forward when a Guardian light spotted them, instantly glowing the violent pink color of malice, a tracking laser appearing on Zelda's chest.

"Run!" Link shouted, but Zelda was already way ahead of him. She grabbed his wrist and tugged him along, with Link quickly catching up. The tracking laser kept on Zelda as the Guardian beeped rhythmically, slowly speeding up as it charged its attack. Link and Zelda were almost to the corridor, pumping their legs as fast as possible.

And just when it seemed the Guardian would fire its laser and they were doomed, they slid into the corridor, the tracking laser disappearing from Zelda's chest since the Guardian couldn't find them any longer. Relief flooded the two Hylians, both of them breathing hard.

"That went well," Zelda said again, but now with a sarcastic tone, and Link let out a laugh. Things rarely went that well for them anymore.

After catching their breaths again, the two Hylians turned and entered into the spring, with Zelda letting out a little gasp and Link's jaw dropping open.

The place was beautiful.

Multiple small waterfalls slid smoothly over the high cliffs that surrounded the area, with shallow water separating Link and Zelda from the large, gracefully carved Goddesses Statue. Two giant trees stood as if on guard on opposite sides of the statue, the bright green leaves rocking gently in the fresh, crisp breeze. It looked incredibly peaceful, but with Zelda's face paling, Link knew that it wasn't peaceful to her. She began to walk farther into the Spring, stopping just before the waist-high water.

Her eyes widened before they glazed over, her posture becoming relaxed as if she were asleep. Link immediately knew she was experiencing a memory. He let out a sigh, wondering what was running through her head. He looked up at the statue, his brow furrowing before he too was lost in the past.

_It was night. Link shivered just slightly as he stood on the platform, his back turned towards Zelda as she prayed in the Spring to give her respected privacy. He always wondered how the Princess could stand being in that water for hours on end, praying and begging for power. It always tugged at his heartstrings, but he would never tell Zelda that he felt pity for her. That would only make her more desperate. _

_Regardless, he could feel himself dozing off while he stood there, finding it harder and harder to keep his eyes open. His mind drifted, and his eyes were just about to slip closed when-_

"_I come seeking help…" Zelda began startling Link back awake. He quickly straightened his posture again, hoping Zelda hadn't noticed. He would never have known if she had, however, since she had been praying silently for the past hour, with the only sounds being that of the natural spring. Now at full attention, Link continued to listen in on Zelda, who was speaking in a quiet, reverent tone. "...regarding this power that has been handed down over time… Prayer will awaken my power to seal Ganon away… Or so I've been told all my life. And yet… Grandmother heard them-the voices from the spirit realm. And Mother said her own power would develop within me."_

_Link glanced to the side, catching onto the shift of tone in Zelda's voice. She wasn't praying anymore. _

"_But I don't hear… or feel anything!" She exclaimed, and Link had to force himself not to turn around while Zelda continued. "Father has told me time and time again… He always says, 'Quit wasting your time playing at being a scholar!'" Zelda paused, her voice trembling, "Curse you." She spat, accompanied by two small splashes Link guessed were her hands hitting the water. "I've spent every day of my life dedicated to praying! I've pleaded to the spirits tied to the ancient gods… And still, the holy powers have proven deaf to my devotion." Zelda's voice then quieted down to just a whisper, "Please just tell me… What is it…? What's wrong with me?!" She cried. _

_That was it. He turned around, already in the process of setting the Master Sword onto the ground. He knew this was hard for her. He knew what lengths the Princess had gone to try and awaken her power, and it frustrated Link so much when the Goddesses granted her nothing. Once he set his sword on the ground, he wasted no time and stepped into the cool water, making his way towards the shaking form of the Princess. _

Link woke up with a start, seeing Zelda awake, still staring up at the statue. Tears were gathering at the corners of her eyes. After a while of the only sound being that of the waterfalls humming as they tumbled, she broke her gaze away from the statue and looked to Link, quickly wiping her eyes. "You saw and heard all of that too… didn't you." She mumbled.

Link didn't reply for a while, before slowly nodding. "You were praying here, at this spring, trying to awaken your power..."

"And I couldn't." Zelda finished, her eyes watering again. "But I thought I could! That is… I thought I could use my power back then… but I guess… I guess I was wrong."

Link recalled the thoughts that had gone through his head back then during the memory, how he felt for the Princess, and how he 'knew of her struggles'. "That's okay because you can use it now, right?"

Zelda's face darkened, and she looked to the ground. "Yeah… right."

Looking over her face, Link knew there was something else she wanted to say. "And…?" He prompted.

She let out a frustrated groan. "I don't know! It's all just jumbled up in my head. But I know for certain that I… I-" She cut herself off, taking a deep breath before continuing, "I was frustrated with myself. I couldn't get my sealing power to awaken within me, that much is clear now, and I think everyone was pressuring me? I don't know… And then there's my father. I said something about him, didn't I? In the memory?"

Link nodded, encouraging Zelda to continue.

"I think I was mad at him. I think I always felt ridiculed by him. But I don't know why! It's just vague thoughts in my head. The only thing I know for certain is that he didn't have the courage to face me as a ghost back on that cursed plateau."

Looking down for just a moment as he gathered his thoughts, Link raised his gaze to meet Zelda's once more. "Well, no matter what you know for certain, there's nothing more for us here. Besides, I'm sure we'll get all of the answers we need once we collect all of the memories from the Sheikah Slate."

The young girl bit her lip, taking one last look at the spring before sighing and nodding, wiping at her eyes once more. Link smiled softly, and the two turned their backs and made their way through the narrow corridor. They snuck past the flying Guardians again without any trouble, stopping and looking around the long rolling green hills that seemed to make up most of Akkala once they were out of the quarry. It was still in the morning, but noonday would soon be approaching, so Zelda took out the Sheikah Slate to see if there was a stable nearby to stop and eat a meal for lunch.

The search had landed them at the East Akkala Stable, where they had spent a well earned hour, with Link cooking a nice lunch after hunting down a boar they had seen on their way there. While he had cooked, Zelda had looked for a merchant or stablehand who would be able to fix the tear in Link's Champion's Tunic. She had returned with a young lady, who had nervously fixed up Link's tunic for him. She seemed quite flustered when he took the tunic off for her to fix, and Zelda had excused herself to leave elsewhere. And it might've just been the lighting, but Link swore he saw her face bright red.

But now they were back on the road, with Link's tunic fixed and back on, but they had decided not to start their journey to leave Akkala just yet. They had overheard some travelers talking about some researcher named Robbie who lived just up the hill, and when they had stepped out to take a look and saw the strange building sitting proudly ahead, Link knew that Zelda wanted to see this so-called researcher.

Consequently, they were now standing at the doorstep of the strange building, which was only stranger up close.

It all seemed to be built from a lighthouse, but saying that it was "built" was an overstatement. The whole place looked like it had been stuck together by a toddler, with its section of stone bricks towards the bottom that crumbled away into haphazard wooden shacks and stairs farther up. A large telescope, (which was the only sign that the place had ever been a lighthouse in the first place,) stretched from the top of the lab towards the center of Hyrule, large and impressive.

Zelda stared up at the lab in awe, an excited gleam in her eyes. "Incredible…" She muttered under her breath, turning to Link. "Come on!" Then without hesitation, the young Hylian opened the door and stepped into the lab, Link following closely behind.

They were met with a strange sight. It was a robot of some kind, a simple figure without arms or legs, with two large eyes closed so only two blue, glowing slits showed. Its mouth was the same; just a single line. Zelda peered at it curiously, stepping forward to reach out and touch it.

"Hey! What are you two doing here?" A voice suddenly called out behind them. Link and Zelda whirled around in surprise, Zelda letting out an involuntary gasp as she did so.

There was a short old man staring right at them a good distance away, his hands firmly clasped on his hips. To his right was a woman who seemed to be in her 40s or so. She was holding a book to her chest, eying Link and Zelda suspiciously. Both the old man and the woman were clad in Sheikah-styled clothing, which hopefully meant they were friendly.

The old man stared at them for a while, which was unsettling with his strange goggles. They whirred around aimlessly, looking in opposite directions then switching again and again. Link was puzzled by them, as well as by the white hair that stuck out to the sides of the old man's head. He was certainly a strange character.

"Hmm?" The old man hummed, his head tilted to give the indication that he was looking at Zelda. "Hmmmm?" He repeated, more intensely. The woman next to him gave him a look, and he waved his hand just slightly. She nodded and walked off towards a bookshelf, obviously no longer worried or interested in Link and Zelda.

"You are… are you…?" The old man stuttered a bit, "Are you Princess Zelda?"

Zelda smiled and nodded. "I am, but just Zelda is fine. And you are?"

The old man's face split into a huge grin, and he looked to Link, ignoring Zelda's question. "Then you are… Link?"

Link glanced at Zelda before giving the old man a small nod. _Should I know you? _He thought, keeping his mouth shut.

"Ah but these are troubling times… How can I determine with full certainty whether or not you two are what you say you are? Yes, how indeed? Hm?" The old man inquired. He seemed to have a habit of humming quite a bit while he spoke. It was as if he were talking more to himself and thinking aloud more than anything. And before Zelda could open her mouth to reply, the old man hummed again, his head turned downcast with a hand on his chin.

"Hm, hm, yes. I've got it." He looked back up at the two Hylians, "I'm quite positive I know you are Princess Zelda without a doubt, hm… yes, yes. But for you…" He focused his attention on Link, making Link slightly uncomfortable. "If you can show me the wounds your body suffered 100 years ago, that should prove you are truly Link."

The old man shut his mouth, waiting expectantly for Link to do… something. The young Hylian now felt very uncomfortable, hesitantly taking hold of the bottom of his Champion's tunic and lifting it up so his chest was bare. He was well aware of his many, many scars that stretched all over his body, but when the old man leaned forward and inspected them, he felt rather embarrassed. He noticed Zelda looking at him out of the corner of his eye, and when he looked over at her, her cheeks flushed a bright pink and she turned away.

After what seemed an eternity, the old man pulled away. The smile was back on his face. Hm! Hmm… Yes, the number of scars on your body are just as I remember. Most seem to have healed, but they do line up with the scars I know you got during the Great Calamity 100 years ago. Hm. Yes, I acknowledge you as the real Link."

Link dropped his tunic to cover himself again, straightening out the wrinkles and looking at the old man with a small, hesitant smile of his own. The old man continued without missing a beat.

"So let us begin again." He cleared his throat, "I am the lead Guardian researcher and director of the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab. I am Doctoooor… Robbie!" The old man suddenly struck a pose, jumping and landing with his feet separated, knees bent, and an arm extended in some sort of… superhero pose?

Then the man straightened and continued as if nothing had happened. "In any case… I really am impressed that you two made it all the way out to this rather remote location. Did you, perchance, meet Purah and borrow her power?"

Zelda immediately stiffened once the Doctor mentioned the lead researcher in Hateno Village. She bit her lip and looked away, so Link stepped in to answer for her. "Uh… Yes, we did, but she was a uh… she was a child."

Robbie looked up, his hand still rubbing his chin. "Hm? Purah? A child?" He suddenly gasped, "What?! She really has a kid?"

"No no she _is _the child." Link quickly corrected him, "She uh... Somehow aged backward."

"Hm? Are you certain? Hm! So she's as crazy as ever. Okeydoke. Knowing her, I'm guessing she screwed up some experiment. Hm, hm, yes. Typical." The Doctor surprisingly brushed off the topic quite quickly, seemingly unperturbed about the whole thing. "Well now let us return to the subject at hand, hm? Did you know that the Calamity is regaining its power?"

Zelda perked up. "Yes, of course. Purah told us how I sealed it 100 years ago, and that now it's gaining strength to break free."

Robbie nodded knowingly. "Hmm. I see. Then I don't need to tell you my story, hm?"

Link glanced over at Zelda. Apparently, she wasn't about to tell anyone about their encounter with her father anytime soon. Nonetheless, Zelda didn't seem bothered as she responded to Robbie. "No, no, we'd love to hear your story."

A grin spread out across the Doctor's face. "Hm! Yes. I see. In that case…" He cleared his throat again, "The goal of our Sheikah research lab is simple, really. We aim to destroy the Calamity that has endured across time… to rid Hyrule of its dark influence. We have worked ourselves to the bone conducting our research. For a time, I feared I'd pass before we could prevail. _However!_" He exclaimed, placing his hands on his hips as he regarded the two Hylians before him. "You two, _the_ Princess Zelda herself and the Hylian Champion, managed to awaken before this old sack of flesh gave out. That means… The time is now! Hm, yes, yes!"

Zelda and Link exchanged a glance.

"You two! Now is the time to join forces with us Sheikah, yes?" Robbie continued, his tone excited and energetic, "We must destroy the Calamity!" He struck the pose again, straightening in the blink of an eye. "Yes! That is correct! We are going to join forces to put an end to the Calamity! And on that note… Sorry for the long preamble, but I'd like to provide you with some ancient soldier gear. Hm!"

Zelda's face brightened significantly at that. Link still felt confused, even a little put off by the old man's character, but tried to give him a small smile to not be rude. Robbie then directed their attention to the robot.

"Cherry… erm, the ancient oven… creates ancient soldier gear made using Sheikah technology. With the addition of my upgrades, they have morphed into… Anti-Calamity weapons!" Robbie struck the pose once again, clearing his throat and straightening. "So to speak… Needless to say, I wanted to show you an example by giving you two these." He handed Zelda three arrows, although they weren't normal. Far from that.

It looked like a small chunk of ancient technology was tied onto the end of a normal arrow where the head would've been. Zelda gazed down at the three arrows in wonder, an excited glint in her eye. "What are they called?" She asked Robbie.

"I like to call them… Ancient arrows!" The Doctor answered, striking his strange pose once again with a triumphant grin.

"Wow. I never would've guessed." Link muttered to Zelda, and she rolled her eyes and nudged him playfully.

"Hush." She whispered back, although a side smile was prominent on her face.

"Hm, yes and in addition to ancient arrows, Cherry can make all kinds of ancient soldier gear. If you're looking to acquire some, give your ancient materials…" Robbie lowered his voice, sounding sheepish, "and rupees… to Cherry."

Link raised an eyebrow. "Rupees?"

The old man chuckled nervously. "Ah, forgive me, Link, Princess Zelda. Ever since the fall of Hyrule Castle, we haven't had much in the way of funds for our research."

"It's alright. Completely understandable." Zelda cut in, shooting Link another look, which he returned with a smile. "How much for more ancient arrows?" She then asked.

Robbie's face lit up and he patted Cherry proudly. "For one arrow, that will be 90 rupees, an ancient shaft and 2 ancient screws from a Guardian, and one normal arrow. Quite a bargain, really, hm?"

Zelda's smile wavered and she glanced at Link. They were completely out of all arrows except the six ice arrows Link had managed to find in the ruins, and they were nowhere near getting those Guardian parts. They didn't even know you could scavenge for parts.

"Ah… well, guess we'll have to come another time." Zelda said.

The Doctor's smile fell and he rubbed his chin. "Hm…alright then. I guess you should be on your way if you aren't going to be exchanging anytime soon. Unless of course, you would wish to stay for a while to discuss our plans to vanquish the Calamity, hm?"

Zelda handed the ancient arrows to Link, who slipped them into his quiver with his ice arrows. "No, that's alright. We'll be on our way." She said with a small nod.

With her gaze lingering on the robot, or 'Cherry,' as Robbie called it, Zelda turned and made her way to the door. Link followed, both of them glancing back and waving.

"Farewell Princess, Champion, and may we finally defeat the Calamity which has plagued our land for far too long, hm?" Robbie said, waving goodbye.

Zelda nodded. "Of course. We'll see you again soon!"

And with that, the two Hylians left the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab to continue on their way out of Akkala. As they walked down the path, Zelda asked Link for an ancient arrow, to which he obliged and handed one over. And for the next hour, she examined it and fiddled with the device as they walked, commenting on its strange qualities and technological quirks that Link didn't find as appealing.

They were still in Akkala by the middle of the afternoon, with Zelda following their route with the Sheikah Slate. "We're passing by the East Akkala Beach and coming up on the East Akkala Plains. Over there is the Rist Peninsula." She narrated, pointing towards a strangely shaped peninsula. It was in the shape of a spiral.

"That's cool." Link commented.

"Yeah! Maybe we could take a short detour and explore it a bit?"

Link shrugged. "Whatever you want."

Smiling, Zelda looked back down at the Sheikah Slate. Link watched for a bit, finding himself smiling as well. His bag bobbed on his back as they walked, and a thought jumped into his head. "Oh! Hey, while we're walking, how about we read Daruk's diary?" He suggested, bringing his bag around and opening it.

Zelda's head immediately snapped up. "Good idea!" She exclaimed, hooking the Sheikah Slate back onto her hip.

Link pulled out the diary, which was rather heavy since it was made out of metal, slung his bag back onto his shoulders, and opened to the first page. A rush of emotions flooded through him as he stared at the words, not even reading them just… looking. After a moment he finally sucked in a breath, steeled himself, and began.

"_I'm gonna start writin' in this "diary" thing startin'... now. Ugh, a diary... Maybe I'll call it my training journal." _Link paused, chuckling a bit. "Guess we ought to call it Daruk's Training Journal then."

Chuckling, Zelda nodded. "Makes sense. I mean, the mighty Daruk really doesn't seem to be someone who would write in a diary."

With a smile on his face, Link nodded and continued. "_They say all ya gotta do is write down stuff that happens. Us Gorons prefer the simple life, so I hope simple stuff counts. Let's see. For today's journal entry, what should I write about? Oh, I know! I had some rock roast from the peak of Death Mountain. It was delicious! I think I'll eat more of it soon." _

An image then flashed in Link's mind of him trying to eat a rock roast, and then the memory of his nightmare where that happened slipped in. "I think Daruk had me try a rock roast once." He said to Zelda, trying to shove away the thoughts of his nightmare and focus more on the faint memory of the times he had spent with the Goron champion.

Zelda winced at Link's words. "I bet that wasn't very good for your teeth."

Thinking more on the memory, Link vividly remembered the sharp pain that had lanced up his jaw when he had tried biting into it. "No, it really wasn't." He said with a chuckle, continuing to read as they walked.

"_I talked to some Hylians at the base of the mountain. All anyone wants to talk about these days is Calamity Ganon. Reminds me of when those tiny Sheikah came to Death Mountain a few years ago to dig up that Divine Beast or whatever. The Hylians were sayin' that beast thing is a weapon someone will need to learn how to control. Back in the good ol' days. Gorons didn't worry about relics we couldn't eat. Mmm... Now I'm hungry. Maybe I'll track down a prime rock roast for one of my dinners tonight!"_

"_Today I saw someone bein' attacked when I was out lookin' for lunch rocks at the peak. He was a little tiny guy, so I rushed down the mountain to help him. I was shocked to find he was handy with a sword! By the time I rolled his way, he'd already taken out all the monsters! I couldn't help but admire his Goron-like strength. While I was distracted, a monster almost got the jump on me. He stopped it. The Great Daruk...saved by a tiny Hylian. I must have had a dopey look on my face when that happened. Hope he didn't notice."_

As Link read, more and more memories slowly revealed themselves in his head, and he felt warm and at peace. He remembered seeing Daruk for the first time quite well now, how he did, in fact, have a dopey look on his face. It was comical. Charming, even. The steady flow of memories popping into his head urged Link to keep reading, and he felt himself becoming more and more engrossed as he did so. The world around him was fading. He was back before the Calamity attacked, when things were stressful, yes, but the times he spent with the Champions were always worth spending.

"_That little Hylian from before is named Link. He's got a respectable appetite. Loves to eat meat, fruit, vegetables... all sorts of things a decent person wouldn't dream of eating. Link will cook up and eat just about anything. I offered him some Grade-A rock roast to help refine his palette. I asked him how it tasted. He liked it so much, he was speechless. I knew Hylians could eat rocks too. Eating isn't the only thing Link and I have in common. The little guy is also incredibly strong! He said sometimes when he focuses, it feels like time slows down. Heh! I really like that guy. He's the type of guy you can trust to have your back and also have a nice hearty meal with. Yeah! That settles it! From now on, Link is an official brother"_

Link stared at the final words on the page, hesitating to flip to the next. A wave of emotions washed over him, and he had to blink rapidly to keep himself from tearing up. After a moment he finally wiped at his eyes and turned to the next page, opening his mouth to continue reading when Zelda held out an arm in front of him to keep him from walking farther. He stopped and looked up at her, a puzzled look on his face.

She was staring straight forward at something, her face pale. Link frowned and followed her line of sight, spotting out in the green field before them what she was staring at. It was a monster. A giant one, in fact, but it wasn't a Hinox. "Oh no." Link breathed, knowing immediately just what danger they were now in.

It was a Lynel. However, unlike the one they had fought on Shatterback Point, this one's skin was colored a dark, dirty blue, with its hair a light purple that looked more gray than anything, all accompanied with two, glowing orange eyes. On its back was a large, silver crusher with sharp edges that looked like it could easily shatter bones. And with the Lynel wielding it, it could definitely end their lives with a single swing.

Recalling how the fight had gone on Shatterback Point, Link felt his own face pale. Granted he had fought the beast with an injured arm, but the monster had withstood countless attacks from him, and it had been smart enough to back Link into a corner. Of course, that had been its own demise, but there was no hundred-foot tall cliff that Link could use to his advantage again out here in the field and rolling hills. In fact, there was nothing they could use as shelter, and the path they were on led right next to the beast. They would either have to take a large detour to avoid being seen, or try their luck and continue on the path.

"We are not fighting that thing," Zelda said, shaking her head to emphasize her point.

Link nodded. "I agree. We should go back the way we came by the quarry."

"That'll probably take us an extra day to get out of Akkala, but it's definitely worth it," Zelda replied, already turning to walk back up the hill towards the stable. Link followed without hesitation, praying that they hadn't been spotted by the Lynel already.

"AAAH!" A scream suddenly sounded behind them, making both Hylians whirl around. Another Hylian was running along the path towards them a good distance away, the Lynel chasing after them, crusher out and ready to kill.

Link immediately burst into action, his previous fears gone. Zelda called after him, but it was no use. He was already sprinting down the hill, having dumped his bag next to Zelda and now drawing his travelers bow and stringing an ice arrow. The Hylian running from the Lynel spotted Link coming towards her, noticing the bow in his hands and hurrying off of the path to give Link a clear shot.

The Lynel hesitated, stopping its pursuit and looking up at Link instead. It's beady eyes widened and it let out a thunderous roar. Link narrowed his eyes and let the arrow fly, nailing the beast right in the shoulder. The monster didn't even flinch, only looking down at the arrow stuck in its shoulder and picking it out, flinging it to the side with a growl. The ice hadn't affected it either, with the monster brushing off the ice from its shoulder and chest.

Trying not to panic, Link slowed to a walk towards the monster and took out an ancient arrow, stringing it and pulling his arm back. _Time to see what this thing can do._ He thought to himself before activating its glowing blue tip and letting the arrow fly.

The Lynel's eyes widened and it leaped to the side just as the arrow whizzed past, tendrils of blue light trickling from it as it flew into the distance. Link frowned and put his bow away, not wanting to waste the other two ancient arrows if the Lynel was able to dodge them. Besides, they could be completely useless against this brute for all he knew.

Now standing in place, Link pulled out his Guardian sword and shield. The Lynel waited patiently until Link was almost ten feet away, staring him down with its furious eyes. Link looked right back up at the beast, waiting for it to make the first move.

It did indeed make the first move, charging at Link and swinging its crusher. Link readied himself until the last possible second, jumping over the attack and spinning around to face the Lynel that was now behind him. He lunged forward with a backhand strike, slicing across the Lynel's side. The monster reared up on its hind legs and growled in anger, holding its crusher above its head and preparing to strike.

Before the Lynel could attack, however, Link darted behind the beast and climbed onto its back, slipping his shield away so that he could use both hands and stabbed his sword into the beast's back. Releasing an agonized roar, the Lynel began to buck and thrash, trying to throw Link off. Link tightly held onto his Guardian sword which was still stuck into the monster, using it as an anchor to keep himself from falling.

Just when he felt his grip begin to slip, the Lynel stopped, and Link had just enough time to rip his sword out and jump off of its back when it swung its crusher behind it where Link had been moments before. The Lynel was now infuriated when it found that it had yet to hit Link, whirling around and slamming its crusher onto the ground. Link sidestepped the blow, thinking he was safe, but the sheer force of the hit against the ground threw him back a few feet. He landed on his back with a grunt, his eyes widening when he saw the crusher coming right for him from the side. He only had enough time to take out his shield and hold it out in front of him, still lying down while he braced for impact.

It didn't come. A blue bomb suddenly appeared behind the Lynel's head, exploding once it hit the beast and sending it stumbling forward. Link scrambled onto his feet out of the way of the stunned monster, spotting Zelda just a few feet away and lowering her Sheikah Slate. Her face was filled with relief. Link flashed her a grateful smile before he turned to the Lynel, tightening his grip on his sword and slipping his shield onto his back. It was time to finish this. The beast was already in pain from his blow to its back, and now it was stunned and disoriented from the bomb.

"Zelda! Freeze it with stasis!" Link shouted, already racing towards the Lynel.

"Right!" Zelda yelled back, already raising her Sheikah Slate.

Link then leaped into the air, the Lynel freezing from the Stasis thanks to Zelda. Link landed on the monsters back again, grabbing onto one of its horns with one hand right when it broke free. The beast didn't even have time to move before Link let go of its horn and, with both hands, thrust his sword right into its head with a grunt.

The Lynel immediately let out a booming cry, thrashing around wildly in pain. Startled by the sudden movements, Link let go of his sword and used both hands to hold onto the monster's horns, trying to keep from flying off.

The monster continued to buck and jump around, showing no signs of stopping. Link was baffled. _How is this thing still standing? _Now the beast was reaching up with its hands and trying to grab at Link, who ducked and dodged while still holding onto the horns. He was so busy focusing on that that he wasn't prepared for when the Lynel suddenly dove onto its side, landing harshly and crushing Link's leg underneath its bulk. He lost his grip on the horns and cried out in pain, bringing his leg to his chest once the Lynel got back onto its hooves, it's eyes narrowing on Link who was trying to see past the pain that was shooting up from his leg. It was for sure broken in multiple areas, the sheer weight of the Lynel's body having crushed his bones.

"Link!" Zelda shouted, running towards him with a bomb in hand. Link saw her coming, his head already spinning from the pain. He glanced over at the Lynel, who had its crusher back and ready to swing. He knew what was coming, looking back at Zelda with half-slitted eyes, already threatening to fall unconscious from the horrible pain in his leg.

Zelda then saw the crusher right as the Lynel swung it, her eyes widening in horror. "Link! No!" She screamed, sprinting towards him, but she would never reach him in time. She chucked the bomb, trying to do all she could to prevent what happened next.

Time seemed to slow as the crusher came hurtling straight towards Link, and he only had enough time to gasp before it slammed right into him. Blinding pain erupted throughout his body, the force of the blow sending him more than ten feet away.

He roughly landed on the ground, a strangled cry of pain bursting from his throat. He opened his eyes just a bit, spotting the vague silhouette of the Lynel thrashing from some sort of explosion, and another figure sprinting towards him. He could hear the figure calling out his name, but the sound was muffled and echoed painfully in his head. His body felt numb and overwhelmed with pain that he couldn't feel any more as the figure continued to scream and run. He felt as if he were in water, slowly drifting away from his body, drifting… drifting… _drifting_…

"Link! Oh Goddesses no… no no no!" The figure was kneeling by him now, finally coming into focus.

_Ah… Zelda. It was Zelda._

She now had him cradled in her lap, looking down on him with tears gathering in her eyes. Link looked right back up, suddenly feeling the strong urge to sleep. His eyelids drooped, causing Zelda to panic and hold him tighter. The motion sent a burst of pain through Link's body as if he just resurfaced before everything went numb and muffled around him again as he sunk back under.

"Link! Link, stay awake! Stay awake! Please! Don't close your eyes, stay with me! Stay!" Zelda cried out, the tears tumbling down her cheeks.

_But I'm so tired. I don't think I can… can… _

"Stay with me! Stay, please! Link, please!"

_I'll only sleep for a moment. Just a second… just a minute… maybe a day… _

The roar of a monster pierced Link's mind, making him wince. Zelda looked behind her fearfully, her eyes widening before darting right back at Link. Her mouth was moving as if she were saying something, but no sound was coming. The ground was shaking. Why was it shaking? There was a sound like hooves thundering… oh! There was Zelda's voice! What was she saying? Don't… sleep?

"Stay… please… don't… can't…"

Link's chest heaved and shuddered as he stared up at Zelda, and for the last time, everything slowed… until…

There was nothing more.

**Do you get why I was so excited to write and publish this now? Mwahaha**

**Also! I just realized that this chapter officially lengthens this fic past 100k words! Holy crap! This is an insane milestone you guys. Thanks for sticking with me!**


	19. Always There

**Sooo fun fact, I was actually gonna publish this last night but the power suddenly went out for like… an hour and a half? It was almost two hours, and it was super random because it wasn't storming or even windy. WELP guess that's just another sign that the world is ending soon! :P (Just kidding please don't panic it was only a power outage and everything's fine now and I don't want all of the toilet paper to disappear again). Anyways, onto the chapter!**

_It is my pleasure… _

Link's eyes shot open as air suddenly flooded into his lungs, life surging through his limbs when before there was none. He gasped sharply and sat up, panting. His eyes were blurry and burning from the sudden light, slowly focusing as his body readjusted itself. _Mipha… I heard her voice… But how? She's gone! How could she… _He shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut and then opening them again. _She brought me back. Her healing power… but what happened? _

"Link!" Zelda exclaimed, snapping Link out of his thoughts. Her mouth was open in shock, her eyes wide and wet from tears.

"What-"

_BANG!_

Both Link and Zelda jumped in fright, spinning around to see the Lynel banging on a spherical shield that surrounded them completely, Link's vision finally snapping into focus. The Lynel was furious, its eyes bugging out and its jaw hanging open as growls and roars spilled out like drool. Link's Guardian sword was still buried deep in its head, which was probably why it was acting so out of control. It swung its crusher at the shield again, a loud bang accompanying it.

A sudden force then barreled into Link from the side, making him almost fall over. It was Zelda, who was hugging him tightly. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. "I thought I lost you…" She said softly.

_The Lynel! It… it killed me. _Link realized with a start, flinching when the Lynel swung at the shield again. Zelda jumped back and let go, gasping and staring up at the shield. It looked as if it might crack, but it held firm, even throwing the beast back a little. _Daruk! _Link gasped as he remembered what the Goron Champion had told them back in Rudania.

"_And remember, from this moment forth, the power of protection from the depths of my soul, now lives inside you two." _

Link gaped up at the shield. _The power of protection… _He felt himself smile just a little. _So that's what he meant. And Mipha… _

"_I promise you that I will watch over your journey, and I will assist you when needed."_

"They were always with us…" Link mumbled under his breath, his eyes widening when he saw the shield begin to crack as the Lynel swung at it again and again. It wouldn't hold for long.

"Zelda!" Link exclaimed, getting onto his feet, startling Zelda as she looked over at him, hastily wiping at her eyes. He held out his hand to help her stand, a determined smile on his face even as his heart thumped with adrenaline. "The shield's gonna break. We need a plan to defeat that thing."

Zelda took his hand and stood, her face clearly telling Link that she was still trying to get over the fact that he was standing before her. "Link, it… it was incredible." She began, staring at Link with a wonder-filled gaze. Tears started to form in the corners of her eyes again. "You were gone… you were _dead!_ And then-"

_BANG! _

The Lynel smashing its crusher into the shield jumpstarted both Hylians again, with Zelda snapping out of it. She glanced at the Lynel, her eyes shifting as she bit her lip. After a moment, she finally turned back to Link, taking both of his hands into her own. "I've got a plan." She started with a smile, "But I don't know if it'll work."

_I'll try anything at this point. _Link thought to himself, nodding for Zelda to continue.

She glanced down at the ground, flinching when the Lynel smacked the shield again. The small crack grew larger, stretching from the top almost halfway down to the bottom. A few more hits, and it would break. "I just need you to distract it. Use your ice arrows or those ancient arrows. Or even your shield. I just need time."

Link looked down at their hands holding each other, feeling heat rise in his face. His gaze rose back up to meet Zelda's, and he tightened his hold on her hands. "What are you planning?"

"I'm going to use my sealing power. Or at least… I'm going to try."

_CRACK!_

A giant crack suddenly sprung up on the shield, the Lynel roaring in victory and winding its crusher back to prepare for the final blow. Link's stomach clenched in anticipation as he searched Zelda's face. Was she being serious? She was going to use her sealing power just on a monster? Could she do that? Granted this beast had caused them a lot of trouble, but she had only used her power on the blights.

"Alright. I trust you. I'll run left, you go right." Link told Zelda, letting go of her hands and taking out his bow, grabbing an ice arrow when Zelda suddenly kissed him on the cheek. He looked at her in shock, feeling his face turn red like a radish. She smiled, her own cheeks tinted pink.

"I'm glad you're back." She said quietly, just as the Lynel let out a roar and swung its crusher.

The shield shattered, exploding outwards and throwing the Lynel back. Link quickly shook his head to focus and sprinted left, spotting Zelda running right out of the corner of his eyes. His whole body was buzzing from the little kiss, but he couldn't think about that right now. It was time for this Lynel to face its end.

Once the monster had regained its senses, its eyes narrowed in on Zelda, who was standing a ways away. Her eyes were closed, with her hands holding each other in her familiar praying stance. Link gasped when the Lynel turned towards her, gritting his teeth and stringing an ice arrow, pointing it directly at the beast's head.

"Don't you dare." He seethed, letting the arrow fly. It hit the beast right in the back. With a furious roar that sounded almost like a shriek, the Lynel spun around, charging at Link without hesitation.

Link held his ground, glancing past the Lynel at Zelda, who was still praying, although her eyebrows were knitted together. _Something's wrong. _But Link didn't have enough time to dwell on that as the Lynel was barreling towards him. He focused back on the fight at hand, leaping to the side. The beast charged forward, missing him entirely. It whirled back around, roaring and chucking its crusher at Link.

Link ducked, dodging the attack with ease. The Lynel was enraged, and now weaponless, but it didn't seem to care. It crouched down, using its hands to suddenly propel itself forward, its teeth bared. Again, Link jumped to the side. The Lynel slowly stopped itself, continuing to ignore Zelda completely as it spun around and charged again. Apparently, the sword in its head was finally starting to take effect on the beast.

Continuing to dodge again and again, Link spared another glance at Zelda, who was now gritting her teeth, still praying. After a few more seconds she opened her eyes. "Link, move!" She cried, holding up her hand. Sprinting out of the way, Link prepared for the massive eruption of power, but nothing came. The Lynel stared straight at Zelda, its previous blood lust forgotten for the moment.

Zelda slowly brought her hand back down, staring at it with betrayal in her eyes. "I… I don't understand." She said quietly. "Link! It… it's not working!" She shouted, holding up her hand again and even taking a step forward. Nothing happened. Now she was looking desperate. "Come on, come on! Why isn't it working?" She continued to bring her hand back and push it forward as if she were giving the air a high five.

Noticing the Lynel starting to regain its anger, Link quickly brought out his bow, grabbing an ancient arrow. The beast looked over at Link, noticing the bow and arrow in Link's hand and rearing back its head. Link thought it was only going for a roar until he saw fire brewing in the monster's mouth. Link stared. _This thing can breathe fire now? _He thought before turning and sprinting out of the way as the Lynel released a torrent of fire his way. He felt the heat rush behind him as he dodged. The beast let loose two more shots of fire before falling onto its knees, panting hard.

Seeing this, Link prepared his arrow, aiming it right at the Lynel's head. He could see Zelda still trying to use her sacred power, but it clearly wasn't obeying her wishes. So, turning his attention back to the monster, Link let loose the arrow, watching with wide eyes as it pegged the beast right in the face.

Immediately blue light engulfed the Lynel, flashing brightly before disappearing altogether. Link shielded his eyes, lowering his arm and gasping. The Lynel was gone. Completely. The only thing that showed that the Lynel had ever been there was the scorched grass and its giant crusher that lay dormant on the ground. Not believing his eyes, Link reached behind him and grabbed the other Ancient Arrow, examining it with a new light. "_Anti-Calamity" is right. _Link thought with a relieved chuckle, recalling what Doctor Robbie had told them. _And now we only have one left… _

Shaking his thoughts away, Link looked up at Zelda, who was staring at where the Lynel had been moments before. He rushed towards her, thinking back on the little kiss. His face immediately turned a shade of red, and he tried to ignore the buzzing feeling as it returned. "Zelda! Are you okay? You didn't get hurt, did you?"

Zelda's gaze drifted to meet Link's, and she bit her lip. "I'm… no I'm fine." She held her arm with her other hand, looking down at the ground.

Feeling his heart pang for her, Link didn't quite know what to do. So, he nudged her a little bit, smiling softly when she lifted her head. "That's good. I'm glad it's over."

She sighed. "But my… power…"

Link stopped her before she could say anything else. "Hey, don't worry about that right now. Your power doesn't have to work every time."

"But it has! Well, until now, that is."

"Do you know why it didn't work?"

Zelda shifted her stance a bit, now folding her arms across her chest. Although, it looked like she was hugging herself more than anything. "No."

Another pang of sympathy shot through Link. He didn't say anything else as he slowly wrapped his arms around Zelda, pulling her into a hug. She gasped a little, but stayed quiet as she brought her arms around him in return. They stayed like that for a while, hugging each other tightly. No words needed to be said. They understood each other's feelings and thoughts well enough.

"Hey! You two!" A sudden voice called out, making Link and Zelda separate in an instant, their faces both red.

There was a young girl before them with Link and Zelda's packs at her feet. She was wearing a small little pack of her own on her back, with a little cap on her head to match. Her clothes were obviously travel-worn and combined with her two braids sticking out of her cap, she looked very young and filled with energy. "You two were incredible! You saved me!" She exclaimed, and Link realized with a start just who this girl was.

She was the one who had been running from the Lynel before Link and Zelda had intervened. "Oh! Uh… yeah, I guess we did." Zelda said with a cautious laugh, folding or hugging her arms around herself again.

The girl bounced happily. "Thank you thank you!" She suddenly lunged forward, bringing Link and Zelda both into a tight hug. And before they could register what just happened, she pulled back again, still bouncing. "Oh! I need to get you two something as a thank you gift!" She quickly took off her pack and searched inside it for a moment before pulling out a small box held together with some string. "Here, take this." She said with a smile, forcing the package into Link's hands. "It's some fresh bread from my mother. Well, it might not be very fresh now, seeing how I left home a few weeks ago, but I hope it's still good." The girl talked way too fast for Link and Zelda to catch up, but they both managed to look past that and give her a smile.

"Um… thank you. It's appreciated." Zelda nodded her head in thanks, still regarding the girl with a cautious look.

The girl let out a laugh. "Don't thank me! You two are heroes! I saw the whole thing! Well, I was really far away and hiding, but from what I could see you two took the beast head-on! And you both came out without a scratch! Wow!"

Link and Zelda glanced at each other, recalling how he had quite literally died, but they both decided not to bring that up.

"If you don't mind me asking… how did you get the attention of that Lynel in the first place?" Zelda asked, taking the attention off of the two of them for the time being.

The girl scratched the back of her head. "Well… I kind of threw a rock at it."

Link and Zelda stared. "You what?" Zelda exclaimed, her mouth hanging open in shock.

"No you don't get it!" The girl said defensively, "You see, my family, or… ancestors, have always lived in Hyrule Castle Town. That is, until 100 years ago. Only one of my ancestors lived when the Calamity attacked, thanks to the Hylian Champion."

Link immediately stiffened, Zelda glancing up at him. But, the girl continued, not having noticed anything.

"The Hylian Champion was protecting the Princess, but he led a group of people from Castle Town to Hateno Village too. Well, really he only took them to Fort Hateno, but it was still really heroic! And now, because of him, my family line has lived on, settling in Hateno Village ever since! So… I guess when I saw that Lynel off in the distance, I wanted to get back at the Calamity somehow." She laughed, "Guess I got a bit ahead of myself."

There was silence for a moment. Link was speechless, and one glance at Zelda told him she was too. _I led… people to Hateno? _Link thought hard on what the girl said, almost feeling like he would tip into another memory. But nothing came. He stared down at the package in his hands, not sure what to say, even if he could reply to something like that.

An awkward air soon fell onto the small group, and the young girl nervously laughed. "Um… well, thanks again for saving me. Oh! And here's your bags. You guys dropped them." She lifted the two bags and set them in front of Link and Zelda, stepping back quickly. "Uh… well… bye, I guess." She said, giving Link and Zelda one last look before turning on her heel and hurrying off in the direction of the East Akkala Stable.

Another night came and went before Link and Zelda could make it out of Akkala. They had spent that time at a place called Tarrey Town; A quaint little place that was only halfway built. It had also given them a lot of time to think and talk over the chaos that was their battle with the Lynel, and what that young girl had told them. Now they were back on the road, having already passed the ruins they had spent a night in when they had first entered Akkala.

Link was downright ecstatic that they were leaving the place. Of course, it was all incredibly beautiful, and the Akkala Citadel was breathtaking, but their visit to the area hadn't exactly been… peaceful.

As they walked down the large, slanting hill with the ruined road, Link was playing around with the Sheikah Slate, with Zelda pointing out the little features and powers it held while also teaching him how to use it. The little device did fascinate him, but it was also giving him a headache. He didn't understand what was so intriguing about it, or any Ancient technology at all. He didn't think he would ever understand.

"And if you click there, you can see all of the pictures." Zelda explained, pointing to a small button. Link pressed on it, the screen shifting to show all of the landscape photos they had been using to find their memories.

"Wow. You've really gotten a hang of this thing." Link said, glancing up at Zelda, who was smiling proudly.

"I've had a lot of time to figure it out."

Looking back at the pictures, Link nudged Zelda. "And looks like you're a pretty accomplished picture-taker too."

"I think that words photographer, but thank you," Zelda replied with a small laugh, nudging Link back with her shoulder.

Link then swiped at the screen, pulling up a new collection of images. His eyebrows raised as he looked through them. These hadn't been on the Sheikah Slate before.

There was an image of the Temple of Time back on the Great Plateau, a picture of Zelda with Caviar-it looked like she had to hold the Slate with one arm to do that one- a wide landscape shot of Zora's Domain, another of Vah Ruta before they had cleansed it, one of Goron City and another of Vah Rudania, similar to Ruta, and then one of… him. Link brought the Slate a bit closer to his face, staring at the slightly blurred picture of him, obviously taken by Zelda. It was when they were on their way to Akkala. He was walking ahead of her, looking over at Death Mountain.

Zelda noticed what Link was looking at and gasped, snatching the Slate out of his hands and holding it to her chest. "Why were you looking through my pictures?" She said accusingly, very clearly flustered.

Link blinked in surprise. "You… you showed me how to get to them."

Her eyes widened a bit and she looked away. "I was only testing out the camera, you know. There's no other reason why I would uh… take a picture… of you."

His face immediately heated up a bit, Zelda's little kiss from before popping into his head. A small smile formed on his face, vanishing when he saw that Zelda was looking at him. He hastily cleared his throat. "Of course! Yeah, no… no I get it."

Zelda cleared her throat as well and hooked the Sheikah Slate back onto her hip. "Right."

Silence befell the two as they continued to walk, both of them staring straight forward until Link spoke up again. "You sure there was no other reason to take that picture?"

Zelda immediately tripped over the disheveled gravel, stumbling forward. Her face was bright red. "What-no! No other reason! None at all! Why would you think that?" She sputtered, regaining her footing and continuing to walk as if nothing had happened.

Again, silence. Until… "You sure?"

"YES!"

The day came and went. The two Hylians had managed to make it to the Woodland Stable by nightfall, eating up the bread from the young girl and spending some rupees for two beds to rest up. They were planning on retrieving the Master Sword the next day, so they knew they would need plenty of rest and energy to do so. Although, Link could hardly say he had gotten a good night's rest. He had suffered through yet another nightmare, but that wouldn't stop him. He was determined to retrieve the legendary sword. Now, the morning was early and fresh, with both Link and Zelda standing before the Great Hyrule Forest.

It was humongous, and even that was an understatement. The trees before the two Hylians were tall and menacing, with a thick, milky fog slithering and swirling around the jagged branches. The trees themselves looked dead and frozen, and the ruins marking the entrance only added to the grim atmosphere. There were even multiple crows that, once catching sight of Link and Zelda, flew off loudly.

Link stared into the woods, the empty breeze that wafted around them only strengthening his desire to find the Master Sword. It was in here. Somewhere. He could feel it.

Gaining a confident nod from Zelda, Link looked forward and brought out his Guardian sword and Shield, activating them but keeping them down by his side, as there was no immediate threat. Then, without wasting any more time, he and Zelda entered into the forest.

Instantly the temperature dropped, causing Zelda to shudder. The strange feeling as if they were being watched rested heavily on their shoulders, as if the fog that swirled around them had a mind of its own. It snaked around the two Hylians, breathing and living on the empty breeze of the forest. It almost seemed as if it were sticking to them, making it incredibly hard to see. It even felt as if they were wading through water.

Everything around seemed to be dead, and yet it was all somehow… alive in a supernatural way. It set Link on edge, and judging by the pale composure of Zelda, it appeared to make her jumpy as well. Silently, Link slipped his shield away and took hold of Zelda's hand, squeezing it comfortingly. He was glad he wasn't alone in the place.

Pushing forward, they wound around the trees, stopping to gather their bearings by standing torches that were set along an unclear pathway. They soon came to two standing torches, however, that appeared to be guarding a rather grotesque tree. Its trunk was twisted in such a way that it looked like a face mid-shriek, with jagged teeth and slits for eyes. As they stood by the tree and its two flickering guards, Link and Zelda looked around for any more of the torches that had been marking their path so far, but there weren't any in sight. There were only more trees with the same ghastly face as the one before them now. At least the trees before had been somewhat normal. The ones ahead of them now all had gaping jaws and narrowed eyes.

Link's heart dropped. He assumed they could make their way to the Master Sword if they just walked in a straight line, but something told him that if he stepped in the wrong direction at the wrong time, he wouldn't like the outcome. As he hopelessly looked around for something to tell him where to go next, Zelda tapped him on the shoulder.

"Look, a torch!" She announced, keeping her voice down even though there was obviously no one near them. Still holding onto Link's hand, she stepped towards a torch that was leaning against one of the standing ones, picking it up and lighting it as she straightened. "We can use this to help navigate."

A small smile broke out across Link's face, and he nodded. He felt himself relax a bit, his grip on his sword softening just a tad. They began to walk again. Nothing happened for a while until the fog around them suddenly began to grow thicker, almost blinding Link completely. He looked around wildly, not able to see Zelda anymore. The only indication that she was still near him was their hands that were holding each other tightly. Just then, as the fog continued to swirl in a seemingly more aggressive way, a childish laugh echoed in the distance of the direction they had been walking in moments before, piercing through the air and almost stopping Link's heart completely.

He froze in fear, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. The fog suddenly grew thicker, snaking around them and almost hissing. It felt as if it were pushing Link and Zelda apart, and he felt his grip on her hand slipping just a bit before they clutched each other tighter. All the while, the childish laugh shrieked and echoed, growing more intense before they both turned and sprinted back towards the two standing torches by the marred tree. The fog dissipated back to how it was before, and the laugh could no longer be heard.

Breathing hard, Link looked over to make sure Zelda was okay. Her face was even paler than before, and her eyes were wide. But other than that, she seemed okay. "What-what was that?" She said, trying to recollect herself without much success. They were subconsciously huddled together, Link holding up his sword and looking around wildly for any more signs of that giggling voice, while Zelda was doing the same with her torch.

Link shook his head, still basically panting. "I have no idea… But it makes sense as to why no one's gotten to or even seen the Master Sword yet."

They fell quiet for a moment, both of their eyes shifting around in fear before Zelda looked up at her torch. "Hey, Link, look at this." She began.

"Huh?" He looked back at Zelda, who was staring up at her torch. He followed her gaze. The torch's flame was blowing in a very distinct way, with sparks drifting off _as if…_

"It's almost as if the flame is trying to show us the way," Zelda spoke, finishing Link's thoughts perfectly.

Link squeezed Zelda's hand again, pulling her a little ways away from the two standing torches to see their torch more clearly, both of them carefully watching the flame. Sure enough, the fire and sparks acted as a compass, keeping itself pointed in a specific direction no matter where they moved. Zelda smiled brightly and turned her eyes to Link's. Link returned the expression with one of his own before they set off once again, following the flame at a slower pace than before, stepping cautiously. Link was keeping an eye on the fog, worried it would grow thick again, and that creepy giggle would return.

Time stretched on, with Link and Zelda stopping every now and then as the flame reset itself, leading them on a random, winding path. Link was just beginning to grow impatient and anxious before they came towards what seemed to be the end. There were two tall cliff sides on either side of a wide pathway, with a dim light in the distance. The fog had stayed steady the entire time, and there was no sign of that laugh from before, which was an immense relief.

Zelda kept the torch raised as they left the chilling woods behind them, keeping their eyes trained on the dim light in the distance that grew larger and brighter as they came closer. It was another forest, but nothing like the one they had just left.

This forest was much brighter and cheerful-looking, with a sense of calm and comfiness. There was still a thin fog that hugged the ground, but it was more of a mist than anything. It only added to the homey atmosphere of the place. Thick flora filled the area as well, making the morning sunlight that shone through separated into obvious rays, while the sun had been blocked entirely back in the forest before. Zelda quickly swiped the torch harshly to the side, blowing out the flame that had been their guide through the woods. She slipped it through one of her leather belts and took out her Sheikah Slate. She messed with it for a moment before pulling up the map, which had been updated. The name of their location was now the Korok Forest.

"Korok Forest, huh? I wonder why it's called that…" She said to herself, just as Link quickly nudged her with his elbow, staring at all of the wooden creatures that had suddenly appeared out of the trees, bushes, and tall grass.

They were cute, in a way, but completely unprecedented. Each one of them had a different kind of large leaf that covered their faces like a mask, with only a pointy nose to stick through and drawn on facial features. Some were hovering in the air with some sort of leaf propeller, while the others stuck out from the plants. They all stared at the two Hylians, the forest falling strangely quiet except for the occasional bird or rustle of leaves.

Link stared right back at the little creatures, the name "Korok" popping into his head as he did so. _These are Koroks then._

Stepping carefully and quietly, Link and Zelda continued forward, entering further and further into the Korok Forest. The little wooden creatures watched them, making little childish noises of awe and surprise. Apparently, they had been waiting for the two Hylians.

Both Link and Zelda made it to a large clearing just as Link's heart leaped into his throat, his body freezing up once again. His vision tunneled, as his eyes had just discovered the single weapon that had been plaguing his mind for the past few weeks.

The Master Sword. It simply sat there, oblivious to the young hero who stared at it with wide, unbelieving eyes. The dim, evening sun shone off of its hilt and half-buried blade beautifully, only adding to its already dignified, majestic appearance. It even seemed royal. It called out to Link, stabbed into the stone with its hilt ready and waiting. Zelda was saying something to him, but he couldn't hear. Everything else was blocked out as he walked towards the sword that seals the darkness, his hand slipping from Zelda's, and his heartbeat steadily increasing until it was almost painful.

He was standing over the blade now, Zelda standing off of the triangle of stone in which the Master Sword rested and watching with wide eyes. Struggling to keep calm, Link reached out towards the hilt with trembling hands, crouching into a more battle-ready stance before taking hold of the sword with both hands.

Instantly some sort of electric shock erupted from the blade, stinging Link's hands, causing him to stumble away from the blade. He stared at it in shock before a low rumbling moan caught his attention, making him look upwards to see a giant tree with an equally giant face etched into it. It had a bulbous nose and large, thick eyebrows that stretched out into branches. Its leaves were pink like a cherry blossom tree. Link's jaw fell open. Zelda had rushed up to his side, about to say something when she was caught off by the giant's tree voice that slowly spoke up.

"Who is that…?" It mumbled. Its mouth moved slowly as it spoke, it's eyebrows rising and falling from the movements. "Did I doze off again?" It continued, drawing out its words in a sleepy kind of way.

A long moment went by before it hummed, having noticed Link and Zelda standing near the Master Sword. "Well, well… The Princess and her Champion. You both finally decided to return. Better late than never. After 100 years, I'd nearly given up hope on seeing both of you again. Even my patience has limits, you know…" It drawled on, pausing for a moment as it lifted one of its eyebrows farther than the other in a look of mild surprise as it hummed again in deep thought.

"That look on your face tells me that you have no recollection of me, however." It noted, "Very well… Shall I introduce myself?" It continued on, giving Zelda and Link no time to respond, "I have watched over Hyrule since time immemorial. Many have referred to me over the ages as the Deku Tree." Just then Zelda's form went rigid next to Link, and when he turned to face her, he saw that her eyes were wide and still, staring up at the Deku Tree. Link opened his mouth to confront her, when the great tree before him continued to speak.

"That there is the weapon created by the ancient Goddess." It said, referring to the Master Sword directly in front of Link. "The sword that seals the darkness that only the chosen knight can wield against the Calamity Ganon. Believe it or not… it was actually you who wielded that sword 100 years ago."

Link's gaze drifted down to the blade, just as Zelda exhaled deeply. He glanced over at her face, and with a familiar glint in her eye, he knew that she had just experienced some sort of memory. There was a strange look in her eye, and her cheeks were brightly colored from… embarrassment? She then looked down at the Master Sword as well, her frown deepening.

All the while the Deku Tree continued without pause, obviously undeterred by the silent conversation between the two Hylians before him. "But I must warn you to take extreme caution with this mighty weapon. The sword stands as a test to anyone who would dare attempt to possess it. As you are now…" Link's heart sunk slightly, as he knew the Deku Tree was speaking to him and him alone, "I cannot say whether you are worthy or not…"

Link's head snapped up at the Deku Tree, shocked by his words of warning. Why would the blade reject him? He was the chosen knight that the guardian spoke of, and he had wielded it 100 years prior without any challenge. Why would it test him? Wasn't he already worthy? His stomach suddenly felt like it was filled with lead. … _Am I worthy? I haven't exactly been an almighty hero lately… I'm nothing like I was 100 years ago. _

"If you sought to free the sword in any sort of weakened state, you would surely lose your life where you stand." The Deku Tree warned. Link's face paled at the thought, but the guardian tree continued, "If you hope to pull the sword from its resting place, you must use your true strength. Let us see whether or not you currently possess said power. Best of luck, young one…" The Deku Tree finished with a lighter tone, falling silent for the time being and watching with masked attention.

Link was stunned. He stared back down at the blade, which now appeared to be much more threatening. He clenched and unclenched his hands at his sides, hesitant to touch the hilt again. _I'm its master. I can wield it. It… It wouldn't kill me, right? _Sweat trickled down his neck. _I'm worthy, aren't I? I'm still the same hero as I was 100 years ago, even if I've lost my dignity… my title… my memories… my courage- _He suddenly felt a hand lightly rest on his shoulder, snapping him out of his spiraling thoughts and fears. His head snapped to the side, as he found himself looking right into the eyes of Zelda.

"Link… I know what you're thinking. But I know you are worthy. You can do this. You're the master of this sword." She said simply.

Link inhaled sharply. "I am… aren't I? But- it's been 100 years. I'm not exactly the same hero as I was from before."

Zelda shook her head. "No, you're not. You're better."

"Better how? I'm nothing compared to how I was!"

"Hylian Champion…" The Deku Tree cut Link off, his voice firm and authoritative, but with a fatherly edge to it. "Take hold of the sword. Delaying the inevitable will only result in wasted time."

Heart race increasing, Link swallowed past his dry throat, giving the Deku Tree a small nod. Zelda brushed her hand against his, giving it a comforting squeeze before stepping off of the stone platform again.

Turning his attention back down to the Master Sword, Link tried to steady his breathing and racing heart, wiping the sweat from his hands on his Champion Tunic before crouching just a bit. Then, sucking in a breath, he wrapped his hands around the sword's hilt, immediately feeling the amount of power the weapon held. He exhaled slowly, squeezing his eyes shut as he began to pull.

He felt the blade budge just a bit, but that wasn't until he felt his own energy slowly start to ebb away from his limbs. Link opened his eyes, seeing a blue, ethereal light seeping from his arms and hands and into the sword, all the while his energy continued to steadily decrease. "_If you sought to free the sword in any sort of weakened state, you would surely lose your life where you stand." _A wave of panic washed over Link as he recalled the Deku Tree's warning, but even so, he continued to pull, feeling the blade slip out just a tad bit more. Soon he broke out into a sweat, his legs starting to get wobbly and his hands starting to shake while they were still gripped onto the sword.

Closing his eyes again, Link continued to pull with all of his might, becoming short of breath. The sword wasn't coming out. He wasn't strong enough. He gasped sharply as his limbs began to ache, opening his eyes. His vision was tainted with red, blocking out the blue, calming light that was now glowing directly from the blade itself. Darkness then began to seep into his vision from the corners of his eyes, his head becoming dangerously light and dizzy. A piercing ringing sound started in his ears, only adding to his increasing fatigue.

_I can't do it._

"Enough." The Deku Tree commanded loudly, and Link immediately released the sword's hilt and stumbled backward, the blue light disappearing. Zelda rushed towards him, catching him before he could fall. His head spun like a top, his vision slowly returning. His limbs shook, and sweat dripped down his face and neck.

_I couldn't do it._

"You would have lost your life if you hadn't released your grip on the sword…" The Deku Tree said firmly, although his tone wasn't cruel. "Prepare before you try again, for I will not stay your hand partway through next time."

Link slowly got back to his feet and out of Zelda's arms, brushing her away when she tried to steady him. He stared up at the guardian tree, his gaze falling back down onto the Master Sword. He was still panting hard, his heart aching, but not from exhaustion. _I'm not strong enough. The sword won't accept me. _

"Link…" Zelda began softly, placing her hand on his shoulder yet again.

"Don't." Link snapped, shrugging her hand off and stalking away from the sword and the platform and into the flora. He could hear the Deku Tree say something to Zelda, but he couldn't discern what was said as his head was still throbbing too painfully. He tried to ignore the many Koroks that poked out of the bushes and trees, murmuring and chattering amongst themselves, but it was hard. _I'm a failure. What was I thinking? We shouldn't have come to this Goddess forsaken place. _Once he was far enough away so that the Deku Tree and Zelda couldn't see him anymore, he grunted wordlessly and punched the tree closest to him, the contact sending sharp tendrils of pain dancing through his hand and up his arm. He sighed and turned, sliding down the trunk so that he was now sitting.

He brought his knees to his chest, resting his head on them. "Curse that stupid sword." He muttered.

"Mr. Hero!" A sudden voice squeaked, making Link's head snap up.

There was a little brown Korok standing right in front of him, staring directly at him. It let out a little gasp, bringing its stubby arms over its mouth since it didn't really have hands or fingers. "It really is you!" The creature exclaimed, bouncing up and down. A sound like a wooden rattle came from him as he did so.

Link gaped at the thing and subconsciously scooted closer to the tree trunk. "You guys… talk?"

The Korok giggled. It sounded eerily similar to the giggle from the forest with the crazy fog. "Oh Mr. Hero. You're so silly! Of course we talk!" It bounced again. "But look at you! You're really him! You're really Mr. Hero! Everyone's been too nervous to come to talk to you, so I decided to be the brave one!"

Straightening out his legs, Link relaxed just a bit. "Oh… uh… well hi, then."

Bouncing up and down like crazy now, the Korok squealed in delight. "Hi!" The little creature then gasped again. "Wow! You're really strong, Mr. Hero! Why didn't you pull the sword out? We've been waiting for you to do that ever since Miss Princess dropped it off here 100 years ago!"

"Uh… well. I didn't exactly… have the strength to do it, apparently." Link replied, lowering his tone in embarrassment.

The Korok tilted its head like a confused puppy before shaking it off and giggling again. "That's okay, Mr. Hero! I'm sure you'll be able to pull it out without a problem once you rest up again and eat a nice meal! We'll make you one! Both for you and Miss Princess."

Link blinked. "Oh. Thank you. That'll be… nice."

"Link! There you are." Zelda said with a breath of relief, hurrying towards him. She looked down at the Korok, smiling brightly. "Hello there."

The Korok bounced happily and waved back. "Hiya Miss Princess! You're really pretty."

She laughed lightly. "Thank you." She then turned her attention back to Link, "Link… are you okay?"

Link let out a puff of air. "Oh yeah. Just great." He said sarcastically.

Zelda sighed a bit and held out her hand, the Korok quickly moving out of the way. "Come on. You can try again. We've got all day, after all."

"Oh!" The Korok perked up, "Mr. Hero, Miss Princess, you two should follow me! We all have a surprise for you! My friends and I made something special."

Link glanced down at the Korok, sighing and taking hold of Zelda's hand. She hoisted him up, keeping his hand in hers since he wobbled just a bit. He was still completely exhausted. Zelda gave him a small smile before looking back down at the Korok. "That sounds lovely. We'll follow you."

"Yipee!" The Korok cheered before wobbling past them and back towards the Deku Tree. Its little feet were quite comical and adorable, and even enough to already cheer Link up just a tad. After a moment they were back at the Deku Tree, who seemed to have fallen asleep. However, the Korok didn't stop, walking underneath the tree and up a smoothed branch. Link spotted a cooking pot off to the side on another smoothed branch, and he only had enough time to think of just how bad of a fire hazard that was before they entered into a rather large room in the middle of the Deku Tree himself.

Link and Zelda followed the little creature, looking around the room in awe. It was incredibly homey, with little flowers blooming along the walls and the floor, lining the way towards the center of the room, where two beds sat, just waiting to be used. They were made of nothing but wood and leaves, and perhaps other flora as well. Despite that, however, they looked remarkably comfortable. Link almost collapsed into a deep sleep just by looking at them.

Their Korok friend stopped in front of the two beds, dancing and bouncing in excitement. "So what do you think Mr. Hero and Miss Princess? You two can take a nap here and we'll have a meal ready for you when you wake up by using the pot back out there!"

Zelda smiled brightly. "It's wonderful! Thank you." Link nodded in agreement.

"Yay! Mr. Hero and Miss Princess like it!" The Korok giggled. "I'll leave you two to take a nice long nap then! We'll wake you guys up when your food is ready!" The little wooden creature then turned and happily wobbled back outside, the wood-rattle noises fading as it left.

The two Hylians were alone in the woody room. Link sighed and walked to one of the beds, turned, and plopped down. He buried his face in his hands, propping them up on his knees. "Why did we come here." He mumbled.

Zelda lightly sat on the bed next to Link's. "You know why. We came for the Master Sword."

Link's head snapped up. "Yeah! Which, in case you didn't notice, tried to kill me!"

"Perhaps, but… if it didn't test whoever took its hilt like that, then anyone could've come in here and taken it. The test is only there to ensure that whoever pulls it is the hero. Is _you_." Zelda retorted quietly.

"They have those foggy woods to keep intruders out! Face it, Zelda. The sword rejected me. It doesn't want me."

"You don't know that."

"I don't?" Link laughed bitterly. "Look at me, Zelda. Look!" He grabbed his sleeve and pulled it up, exposing the many scars that lanced across his arm. He then grabbed the bottom of his tunic and lifted that, showing the scars there too. After a second he dropped his tunic, letting it fall loosely on his chest and stomach. "I'm a failed hero, and I have the scars to prove it. The sword knows it, the Deku Tree knows it, you know it, I know it. Everyone knows that I'm not the same hero I used to be." He said darkly, turning away from Zelda and staring at his feet. "I'm not… the same."

"Link, listen. You're not the same hero, because you're bet-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence." Link whirled back around, pointing his finger right at Zelda's face, his eyes narrowed. "We both saw out there just how wrong that is! I'm better? What a joke." He growled and crawled onto the bed, not bothering to slip underneath the leaf-made covers or take off his boots. He shifted onto his side, his back to Zelda.

"Link…"

"Zelda, please. Just… don't."

It was quiet after that until Link heard movement behind him. It fell silent again after a moment, and Link guessed Zelda had clambered into bed as well. He sighed, feeling hot tears brimming in the corner of his eyes. Immediately he hastily wiped them away, squeezing his eyes shut and slowly curling up on the bed, letting sleep slowly overtake him and pull him away.

**OOF.**

**Also can I just say that it would be really hilarious if I actually did just kill off Link and say "Alright! I'm done. The end! :D" And be done with this fic ahaha (Don't worry I won't do that I just thought that was funny hahadslfkj)**

**Also also I was really really tempted to name this chapter "Lost in the Woods" because Frozen 2 and all that, but I decided against it XD**


	20. Sacred Blade on Sacred Ground

**Huzzah! Chapter twenty! (We're in the twenties now O-o) Sorry for taking a million years. School was eating up my time, but it's finally over! So hopefully I can fall into a better routine and get these chapters out faster. Hope y'all enjoy!**

"Mr. Hero! Miss Princess! Wake up!"

Link gasped and sat up sharply, finding the little Korok from before standing on his legs. Heart still racing, Link took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead. To say that his nap had been relaxing was a lie. It was filled with short, fast nightmares, from the sword sucking out his life, Zelda, the Deku Tree, and the little Koroks mocking him, the fog from the forest choking him to death, and countless others. They had been in a quick recession, so it was fair to say that Link wasn't really well-rested.

"Good! You're awake!" The Korok said cheerfully, jumping down from Link's bed and waddling towards Zelda's. He tried to jump up onto the bed, and even though it was only about two feet tall, he still had to awkwardly climb up it before he clambered onto Zelda's stomach. "Miss Princess! Wake up! Your food is ready!"

Zelda mumbled and turned over, the Korok tumbling off of her stomach and onto the bed. He quickly got back to his feet, undeterred. "Wake up! Wake up!" He exclaimed.

Finally, Zelda groaned and sat up, yawning and rubbing her eye with a fist. "Food?" She questioned drearily.

The Korok nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! We made a nice meal for you and Mr. Hero, just like you asked!"

Link scratched the back of his head. "I don't think we asked."

Making a little noise that sounded like a shrug, the Korok jumped down from Zelda's bed and waddled happily towards the open doorway that led to the forest outside. The bright, afternoon sun shone brightly from that opening, but the narrow passageway surprisingly blocked out most of the light. It almost reminded Link of the opening that had led them out of the Shrine of Resurrection. Almost.

A few minutes later, Link and Zelda managed to clamber out of their foresty beds and sleepily follow the Korok outside. That is, Zelda was still sleepy. Link was wide awake by now.

The little wooden creature led them back to the cooking pot where two more Korok's were each holding up a wooden platter filled with cooked mushrooms, steamed fruit, and decorative herbs and flowers only there for presentation. They presented the platters to Link and Zelda separately, which the Hylians took gratefully. Link looked at the food with surprise. He didn't know these small creatures could cook so elegantly.

"Oh wow!" Zelda exclaimed, looking over the food with a smile. However, it looked a little strained. Link inwardly chuckled, recalling how she didn't really… like mushrooms. "Thank you! It looks great."

Link nodded to show his appreciation as well, and the three Koroks before them all gasped and jumped excitedly. "They like it!" One of them crowed.

"This is the best day ever!" Another exclaimed.

"I'm so happy Mr. Hero and Miss Princess like our cooking!" The Korok that had been their guide giggled, "Now you guys can eat it all up and Mr. Hero can try pulling the sword again!"

Stiffening, Link's eyes shifted towards the legendary sword, the light glinting off of the weapon as if it were taunting him. Mocking him. He bit the inside of his cheek and stepped away from the Koroks. They were all paying attention mostly to Zelda, who was still thanking them for the food and the beds. Glancing one last time at the sword, Link turned and walked back inside the Deku Tree, sitting down on his bed and taking a bite from the steamed Swift Carrot.

The sounds of a wooden rattle caught his attention, and he looked up to see their friendly Korok standing in front of him. It didn't say anything, and Link immediately felt uncomfortable. _Don't these things talk? Like a lot? _

"What is it?" Link finally asked, breaking the silence.

The Korok hummed and waddled to Zelda's bed, pulling himself up. "Mr. Hero seemed sad, so I came to see what was wrong!" It proclaimed proudly.

Link let out a little puff of air and went back to his carrot, taking another bite. "I'm not sad." He said defensively.

"But you were sad when I found you under that tree."

"I was frustrated. Not sad."

The Korok tilted its head. "Why? Is it because of the Master Sword?"

Link stared at his carrot, subconsciously gripping it harder. "Yeah."

Humming again, the Korok dangled its stubby legs off of the bed. "I'm sorry you're frustrated, but you are going to try to get that sword again… right? You're Mr. Hero!"

Keeping his eyes trained on the carrot, Link mumbled his reply. "Yeah."

"Yay! That's good!" The Korok cheered, obviously oblivious to Link's behavior. "You know what makes me frustrated?"

Link finally tore his gaze away from the carrot, raising an eyebrow slightly. "You get frustrated?"

"Oh yeah! All the time! Well… kind of. I just really, _really _want to see a Blupee! You ever heard of a Blupee, Mr. Hero?"

"I… may have heard of them."

The Korok bounced excitedly on the bed. "I don't know where they live, but they're little blue glowing critters around Hyrule that are quick and hoppy! Oh I wonder how glowy they are! Aren't you curious? I really want to see one, and when I remember I haven't, it makes me frustrated."

Link took the last bite from his carrot, setting the leftover onto the blatter and picking up a bright green mushroom. The name Stamella Shroom popped into his head. "Yeah, that would make me frustrated too." Link agreed absentmindedly, looking up at the entrance. It was quiet again for a while, until Link asked, "Do you… guys have names?"

Giggling, the Korok nodded. "Of course, Mr. Hero! I'm Peeks!"

"Ah… well, thanks for the food and the beds then, Peeks. And my name's Link. You don't need to call me Mr. Hero."

Peeks practically vibrated with excitement. "You're welcome, Mr. Hero! You're very welcome!"

Link opened his mouth to correct the little Korok about his name, but he decided against it and chuckled instead. He turned his attention back to his food and took a rather large bite from the mushroom, feeling a quick, rush of adrenaline shoot through him. He blinked in surprise, taking another bite and gasping when another wave of energy flooded his body. "...Peeks? Where'd you get these?" He asked, showing him the Stamella Shroom.

Peeks hopped off of the bed and waddled closer, tapping his leaf mask in thought. "Oh! Those grow _all_ over here, and I'm sure out in Hyrule too. They're supposed to give you energy! Are they working?"

"Yeah, they are." Link replied, biting at the shroom again. He stood, finishing the mushroom in two more bites. "You know, Peeks, I think I'm ready to try my luck with the Master Sword again." He said with a confident grin, holding up his arms in a battle-ready stance and clenching his fists.

"Yay!" Peeks cheered, jumping and waddling in front of Link as they both walked out of the Deku Tree.

In all honesty, Link didn't really know if he would be able to pull out the sword or not. Things hadn't gone so well the first time. But, the Stamella Shroom was giving him an extra boost in energy, and he had been able to sleep, even if it was only for a little bit. Besides… he needed the Master Sword if he ever wanted to amount to how he was before.

Zelda was still there with the two Koroks, sitting next to them. She seemed to have only touched the fruit on her platter. The mushrooms lay discarded to the side.

"Link!" She perked up when he came towards her. She quickly stood.

Link hastily spoke up before she could say anything. "I'm going to pull the sword again." He said, determined.

Blinking in surprise, Zelda glanced over her shoulder to the Master Sword before looking back at Link. "Really? Are you sure? You… didn't seem like you ever wanted to try again before."

The feeling of the sword draining his energy away weighed heavily on Link's mind, making his muscles tense, but he quickly shoved the memory aside. He needed this sword. He wouldn't fail. Not again.

"I'm sure." He said with a single nod, stepping past Zelda and towards the legendary sword. The light that glinted off of it now seemed to be beckoning him, tempting him to take hold of its hilt. He stared the weapon down as he steadily approached it, feeling his vision tunnel the same way it had when he had first laid eyes on it. He could already feel the perfect weight of it in his hand, his sword hand clenching and unclenching at his side.

_How do you know the sword will accept you this time? _The thought sprung into Link's head, making him hesitate for a second before he forced himself to keep walking. _I can't think about that right now. I can do this. I need that sword. I need it. Without it I'm nothing. _

Before he knew it, Link found himself directly in front of the Master Sword, Zelda standing off of the platform slightly behind him just like before, a bunch of Koroks, including Peeks, watching him from the bushes and trees. The Great Deku Tree hadn't said anything, but Link could feel his heavy gaze upon him. The forest grew deathly silent. No one moved for what seemed an eternity. Inhaling deeply, Link wiped the sweat from his hands onto his pants, exhaling slowly.

_I can do this. _

Without wasting another second, Link took a short step forward and clutched the Master Sword's hilt, his eyes squeezed shut.

Immediately he felt his energy slowly seep into the weapon, but he ignored the rapid thumping of his heart and sweat that trickled down his neck in fear. He tightened his grip on the hilt and began to pull, feeling the blade move just a tad like it had before.

_I can do this. _

His hands started to get slick with sweat. He crouched a bit to get a better grip on the sword, now gritting his teeth as he continued to pull. It wasn't moving.

_I can't… it's not coming out… it's not accepting me. _

Link opened his eyes in a panic, crouched down so low that he was practically pushing the sword upwards. He was breathing hard. His energy was slowly depleting. His thoughts were spiraling-

_No. I won't fail. Not. Again._

Letting out a grunt, Link poured every ounce of strength he had into the sword, straightening and pulling upwards at the same time. Black was seeping into the corners of his vision, his head was pounding with a horrible headache, and his legs and arms were shaking, but he was completely and utterly determined.

_I will not let go… I will not let go… _

The blade shifted up again. He was getting lightheaded.

_I can do this… I can do this… _

It moved even further. His hearing was muffled now.

_I can't give up now! _

The sword shifted upwards once more until suddenly it sprung out with a flash of bright blue light. Link gasped and stumbled backward from the sudden loss of weight to the sword and the weight of the sword's sheath appearing out of thin air on his back. He kept his footing however, glancing over his shoulder at the sheath before staring at the sword, now in his hands, with disbelief.

"I did it…" He muttered under his breath, shifting the legendary weapon to his sword hand and holding it out in front of him. His body was trembling from his energy that had been depleted, but he almost felt as if the energy was slowly returning to him from the sword itself. His hearing had returned, and his vision was clear. A few seconds later his head stopped spinning, and the weight of what he had just accomplished came crashing down around him.

He finally had the Master Sword! The sword that seals the darkness was now in his hands. The legendary weapon was finally returned to him. And for the first time ever since waking up in the Shrine of Resurrection so long ago, Link felt just like the hero he had been 100 years prior.

Link's heart was thumping wildly, but he slowly brought the sword close to his face, closing his eyes and slightly bowing his head. "Thank you…" He whispered to the blade, reverently raising it high into the air into a position that was all too familiar.

Just then a flurry of images flashed in his mind. He saw Zelda, all beaten and battered, with her white ceremonial dress scorched and torn, kneeling in front of the Master Sword that lay across its pedestal. The legendary sword was beaten just as much as Zelda, looking rusted and dull. There were countless dents on it, and the malice that covered sections of it discolored the once shining blade. Zelda was speaking to it, whispering words of comfort and prayer. Then she was speaking to the Deku Tree. She wanted the great tree to relay a message to Link. Then she was picking up the legendary sword, preparing to set it into its pedestal. Then with one final breath, she stabbed the blade into its rightful place, stepping back as a blue, ethereal light emanated from the sword that seals the darkness.

The images faded and Link found himself back at the Korok Forest, still holding the mighty sword high into the air. He realized with a start that his energy was now fully returned to him as if he had just eaten a hearty meal. Smiling contentedly, Link brought the sword close to his face once more and touched his forehead to the cold steel of its blade. _Let's see what this legendary sword can do. _He thought to himself, opening his eyes suddenly and stepping forward, performing a series of complicated maneuvers.

It was remarkable. The sword was an extension of himself. He finally felt at home, at peace. He paused, his smile a full-on grin by now. The Korok's were all cheering in their high pitched voices. Twisting the sword in one last performance, Link slipped the blade into its decorated sheath, seeing Zelda watching him with the brightest smile he had ever seen on her face. He even thought he saw tears sparkling in the corners of her eyes.

"That blade has a name…" The Deku Tree then spoke up, apparently having watched the entire second, and successful attempt unfold before him. The forest grew quiet once again, allowing the guardian to speak.

Link turned his attention to the great tree, still grinning from ear to ear. "The Master Sword." He said reverently, restraining himself from grabbing the sword and hugging it to his chest. His body was absolutely buzzing with excitement.

The Deku Tree paused, obviously not pleased for being interrupted. Nonetheless, he simply hummed and continued. "Yes. The Master Sword. When used against Calamity Ganon or those tainted by his malice, it will become suffused with holy light. At such times, the true power of the sword will manifest…"

Link raised his eyebrows in surprise, glancing over his shoulder at the sword's hilt that stuck out from its sheath. He caught sight of Zelda as well, who wiped her eyes and walked towards him, standing at his side. By now Link's heart was thumping faster than a Lizalfos, and he felt ready to charge Hyrule Castle and take down the ugly fiend that is Calamity Ganon right away.

"But be warned." The Deku Tree cut into Link's excitement, and both him and Zelda's smiles faded from their faces. "Do not rely too much on its power. If you wield it without need, its power will be exhausted and it will no longer be of use to you."

Panic and dread instantly flooded Link and Zelda's faces, but the Deku Tree saw this and quickly began to speak again before they could even open their mouths.

"Should this happen, you must wait for the sword to recover." The Deku Tree paused, letting the Hylians breathe in relief. The great tree then added, "It would be rash to rely on this sword alone to defeat Ganon… I suggest you free the Divine Beasts before facing him."

Zelda immediately nodded and stepped forward, one hand clenched into a fist held to her chest. "That is our plan… We don't have any intentions to be rash." She glanced at Link, her hand falling to her side.

"Right. We won't be rash." He confirmed quickly, nodding along.

The Deku Tree regarded them both for a moment with a low hum. "Very well. I believe you both only have the Divine Beast Vah Medoh of the Rito and the Divine Beast Vah Naboris of the Gerudo to cleanse, correct?"

Again, Zelda and Link nodded. "We will head to Vah Medoh as soon as possible," Zelda said.

The great tree seemed proud. "The fate of Hyrule is in your capable hands, Princess Zelda. And yours too, Hylian Champion." He regarded both of them, "You are the light. The light that must shine upon Hyrule once again. Now go…"

The rest of the day had gone by quickly, with Link and Zelda making it to the Woodland Stable by evening and eating a well-made dinner before turning in for the night. The next morning they were already on the road. They planned on crossing in front of Hyrule Castle in order to get to the Rito as soon as possible and free the Divine Beast there, (and Revali, of course, but Link found it strange how a bitter taste always came to his mouth whenever he thought of the Rito champion). Link had spent the entire rest of the day before and the early morning holding the Master Sword in his hand, often practicing simple maneuvers and swings as they walked. He was downright ecstatic and energized, and even though they had told the Deku Tree that they wouldn't be rash, he still felt an incredible urge to storm Hyrule Castle that day.

"Looks like you've gotten pretty comfortable with that," Zelda mentioned, giggling when Link jumped ahead of her and sliced a tree branch off of an apple tree with the Master Sword, turning and smoothly catching the apple behind him as it fell.

"I don't know how I survived without it." He replied, giving Zelda a side smile that almost seemed flirtatious as he twirled the legendary sword around his wrist and took a bite from the apple.

Zelda rolled her eyes at his smile that looked too much like a smirk, gasping and stepping out of the away when he threw the sword and the apple into the air, catching them with opposite hands. "Well you did manage without it." She winced and stepped farther away from Link as he threw the sword again, even spinning underneath it and catching it behind his back while taking another bite from the apple. "Link, maybe you should be more careful." She added, her smile turning hesitant and small.

"Don't worry, Zelda. I won't accidentally stab myself." He said, offering the apple to her. She declined, so he shrugged and tossed the fruit in front of him, stepping forward and slicing the apple into two with a flourish.

Zelda was pretty sure that he was now just showing off, and when he turned to her and smirked, she definitely knew. "I'm not worried about you stabbing yourself. I'm more worried about… about this getting to your head. I don't want you being… you know… cocky."

Glancing sideways at her, Link slowly turned his gaze back at the sword. _I'm not being cocky. _He thought to himself with a frown. "You don't need to worry about that either." He told her, avoiding her concerned gaze.

"Well, you just cut off a branch from a tree and then sliced an apple in two." She pointed out, "The Deku Tree said we shouldn't rely on the sword too much, anyway. I just don't want you to get hurt."

Link knew Zelda was just looking out for him, but her words stung. Perhaps he was getting a bloated pride because of the Master Sword. His frown deepened. "I'm not going to get hurt." He said, a bit agitated.

Zelda seemed hesitant with what she was going to say next, but she continued anyway. "Then… maybe… you should put the sword away for now?"

It was then when they passed by two men on the pathway, who both eyed the Master Sword in Link's hand suspiciously. People knew of the legendary sword, and with the blade's incredible handiwork and decorated hilt, people were sure to be intrigued. Link stared the two men down, his hand tightening on the Master Sword's hilt.

The two men passed without any trouble, thankfully, but it had been a pretty clear reason as to why Link should just put the legendary sword away… for now. Link felt his face heat up in embarrassment, which slowly turned to anger and frustration. _I finally have the Master Sword back, and she wants me to put it away? _He thought to himself, looking at Zelda who caught his gaze.

"Link, please. Just put it away." She said again. "We're probably going to need it for battle anyway once we pass by Hyrule Castle."

"I don't…" Link started, quickly stopping himself. As much as he didn't want to accept it, Zelda had a point. Multiple, actually. He needed to get a hold of himself if he didn't want to do anything reckless, or rash as the Deku Tree had put it. He sighed. "Alright." He finally gave in, slowly slipping the legendary weapon into its sheath.

Zelda gave him a sympathetic smile. "Thanks Link. I know you're excited about the Master Sword. I'm excited too." She said honestly, "But I want to get to Vah Medoh without any of us getting hurt. And you tend to run straight into fights without thinking first." Her tone turned a bit teasing, and Link caught on immediately.

"Hey! I didn't even know there was going to be a Hinox there!" He said defensively, bringing up their little 'shortcut' they had taken to get to Inogo Bridge where they later met Prince Sidon.

"We could've gone _around _the giant, tree-wielding beast, but nooo. You just _had _to fight it." She said, finishing with a smirk.

Link let out an exasperated puff of air. "It had nice weapons around its neck." He retaliated, realizing how weak of an excuse that was just as he said it.

"And then there was that Lynel!" Zelda added, "You didn't even hesitate!"

Link folded his arms over his chest even as they walked. "There was someone in trouble!"

Laughing again, Zelda quickly quieted down and stopped. "Alright, alright I get it. All I'm saying is sometimes you don't think before fighting. Now that you have the _legendary sword that seals the darkness_, I just don't want that getting to your head." She explained, emphasizing on the Master Sword's grand title.

The corners of Link's mouth tipped down into a frown. "It won't."

The day continued on with the two Hylians walking in silence. Link hadn't touched the Master Sword ever since putting it away, and Zelda had busied herself by looking at the Sheikah Slate. They had passed by a place called the Rauru Settlement, which was, of course, completely in ruins. As they did the horrible gut feeling of guilt about the ruined place settled into the two Hylians, and Link brought out Daruk's diary from his bag to lighten the mood. He read the rest of it aloud, which did bring smiles to their faces. Afterward they had then passed over the Helmhead Bridge. They were now the closest they had ever been to the grand Hyrule Castle. There had been a few Guardians here and there, but they had managed to successfully sneak past them and enter into a collection of ruins that Zelda had told him was the Hyrule Forest Park. Now they were crouched beside a broken fountain, staring up at the castle before them as they took in every detail. Again, the strong urge to enter into the place and dispose of Calamity Ganon rose inside of Link, and he clenched his fists at his sides, his fingernails digging into his own flesh. He knew Zelda felt it too. The desire to take back their kingdom, to kill the horrid _thing _that destroyed their home. Their _lives_.

"Let's keep moving." Zelda finally said after minutes of silence.

Link simply nodded, and the two were back on their feet. They stayed to the cliffside closest to the castle, since there was a Hinox sleeping nearby and a Guardian that stalked closer to the trees where the giant slept.

They crossed another bridge without any trouble, finding themselves just on the outside of the crumbling wall that surrounded the devastated Hyrule Castle Town. The air was desolate and stale, brushing through the ruins and Link and Zelda as if it were the ghosts of all the people who had once lived here, each of them having been murdered by the cruel machines under Ganon's control all those years ago. It made both Link and Zelda sick to think about, so they trudged forward, eager to get away as soon as possible.

Both Hylians decided it would be best to cut through the ruins of Castle Town since there were many Guardians scurrying through the fields, but taking one look past the wall and seeing the patches of malice that covered the remains of the once-bustling town, they instantly decided against it. Instead, they would get back onto the path that stretched around the town and hopefully make it across and far away from the castle and the Guardians that surrounded it before sundown.

Managing to get onto the path without any trouble, they continued on their way, eying the many Guardians wearily. They both stayed deathly silent, even though the Guardian's couldn't hear. They were just machines, after all. Deadly machines.

Setting their sights on a rather large grove of trees ahead of them, Link and Zelda quickened their pace, hoping that if they could just get to those trees, they could avoid the Guardians' attention.

All hopes were dashed however as a sudden beeping emanated behind them, and a red tracking laser appeared on Link's back. A Guardian was coming towards them, glowing an angry pink with its blue eye piercing right at them.

"RUN!" Zelda shouted. Link was way ahead of her. The two Hylians sprinted forward, but the Guardian was quickly gaining on them. The beeping was getting faster as the machine charged its attack just when another Guardian to their right close to Castle Town spotted them as well. It's tracking laser appeared on Zelda, only making the two Hylians run harder. Link braced himself as the beeping ceased behind them. The Guardian was about to attack. Link quickly shoved Zelda to the side right as it fired, both of them just barely dodging the laser that surged ahead and exploded into the ground just a few feet in front of them. The beeping resumed, but the Guardian to the side of them was ready to attack.

"Look out!" Link yelled, both of them ducking as the beam flew over their heads from the side. They continued to run, both panting hard.

And just when Link thought things couldn't get any worse, a third Guardian spotted them, this time having been closer to the grove of trees and diagonally in front of them. They now had a cursed machine behind them, to their right, and now in front of them. Three tracking lasers were trained on the two Hylians, and Link knew with a sinking feeling that they couldn't outrun them. They had to fight at least one of the Guardians if they ever wanted to make it out alive.

After both Hylians ducked while another beam shot over their heads, Link skidded to a stop and brought out the Master Sword. He gasped when he saw that it was glowing a calm, blue-white color, the words of the Deku Tree sounding in his mind. "_When used against Calamity Ganon or those tainted by his malice, it will become suffused with holy light. At such times, the true power of the sword will manifest…" _Link's face turned determined, and he turned to face the Guardian behind him and the one to the side head-on. The two Guardians singled in on Link, while the one that was in front of them came directly at Zelda. She had stopped, of course, staring at Link.

"Link, what are you doing?!" She yelled, noticing the glow of the Master Sword and her eyes widening. She hastily brought out the guardian sword and shield Link had given to her since he now had the legendary weapon, and Link quickly shook his head as the Guardians closed in.

"No! Keep going! I'll take care of them!" He shouted, gasping and leaping to the side when one of the Guardians fired at him. He didn't wait for Zelda to respond since time was running out as he lunged forward at the Guardian closest to him. It scurried away just in time, the shining blade of the Master Sword missing its leg by inches.

Gritting his teeth, Link dodged yet another beam and tried for the other Guardian, but it scampered away just as fast as the other had done. Link chased after it, ignoring the piercing beeping both machines were making as they charged their attacks. The Guardian he was pursuing let loose its laser and he jumped to the side. The beam exploded into the ground behind him, throwing him forward but he kept his footing and managed to land a blow on the Guardian's leg.

What he hadn't expected, however, was for the Master Sword to slice clean through. The leg came cleanly off, now only a half as long stub that waved around frantically, sparks flying off of it as if it were bleeding. The Guardian stumbled to a halt, not registering what had just happened. The other Guardian didn't stop in its attack however, shooting a beam at Link while he was still shocked at what had happened.

The laser shot past him, just barely scorching his left arm. He gasped from the sharp pain, shocking him back into action. Not even wasting a second to glance at his new injury, he charged forward at the confused Guardian even while the other still pursued, lobbing off another leg. The Guardian didn't know what was happening, its robotic mind struggling to regain the upper hand. Link danced around almost gracefully, feeling completely at home with the Master Sword in his hands and glowing powerfully.

His mind was feeling strangely fuzzy and dimmed, and he recognized the feeling instantly. He felt himself start to tip into another memory, but he forced himself to stay grounded. The pain in his arm helped with that. He sliced off another leg, his mind now whirling in the action. _I've done this before. _Link realized with a start, leaping to the side perfectly as the still walking Guardian attacked once again. _I've done this countless times before. _

By now all of the legs were sliced cleanly off from the poor Guardian Link was assaulting, and its head was spinning around wildly, firing off laser after laser in every direction, but none at Link. The other Guardian was scurrying around, trying to lock a clear target on Link, but he was using the legless machine in front of him as a makeshift shield as he hacked and slashed at the machine before lunging forward and stabbing the thing in the eye. The Guardian whizzed and cackled with energy before giving out, collapsing and turning lifeless.

Victorious, Link smiled and climbed to the top of the dead machine, leaping at the still walking Guardian before him. He pointed the Master Sword downwards and plunged its blade directly into the top of the machine, ending it in seconds, later jumping off of it with the legendary sword in hand. He was victorious. Smiling, Link turned back towards the grove of trees. His smile was immediately wiped clean from his face.

Zelda was hurt. It was apparent. The Guardian was missing one leg, which she had managed to cut off with the guardian sword, but she was limping and panting with exhaustion. Link's blood ran cold before he sprinted towards her. _Of course she wouldn't run! I shouldn't have left her alone with one of these things! She doesn't know how to face them! _Link thought frantically, calling out her name as he charged forward.

The bright, red tracking laser was trained right at her chest, and she turned to Link with half-lidded eyes. A flash appeared from the Guardian's single eye before a beam shot out from it mercilessly.

Time slowed. Zelda was turning back towards the Guardian with panic in her eyes, bringing up her blue guardian shield right as the beam exploded into it. She flew almost ten feet before slamming into the ground, the Guardian wasting no time in approaching her and charging up another blast for the kill.

"No!" Link shouted, reaching the Guardian just in time and stepping onto its cone-like body, using it like a trampoline and leaping high into the air, plunging the Master Sword directly into it just as he had done previously. The machine sputtered for a few moments before finally giving way to defeat, crashing to the ground, its limbs sprawled out at sharp angles.

Breathing hard, Link clambered off of the machine and rushed towards Zelda, who was just opening her eyes and getting up with a groan. "Zelda!" Link cried, dropping the Master Sword and dropping to his knees, sliding into her and pulling her up into a hug. "Oh thank the Goddesses…" He muttered, hugging her tightly. His heart was thumping in panic before he felt her arms weakly wrap around him in return.

Only after a long moment did he pull back, looking over her for any injuries. There was a burn on her right shoulder, the clothing scorched to reveal her red and blistered skin underneath. The worst injury however was on her right leg. It was a deep gash that stretched across the side of her thigh, which obviously came from a beam that just barely missed hitting dead center on her leg. It almost looked like a blade had cut into her skin, although it was burnt just as bad as her shoulder. Link frowned and looked back up into her eyes, which clearly showed pain, but she only smiled.

"Why didn't you run?" He asked simply, his eyes filled with concern but the small smile on his face showed his relief.

She sucked in a breath, closing her eyes as she tried to ignore the pain she was clearly feeling. "I wanted to fight. Besides, I don't think I could've outrun that thing." Her eyes flicked to the dead Guardian behind Link before returning to his eyes. She sighed with relief of her own. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"But you're not." He said tenderly. Reaching behind him and grabbing his bag. He rummaged around inside of it, seeing if there was anything he could use as a bandage. There was nothing, only four silver rupees, Daruk's diary, and his flask of water. He sighed and slipped his bag back onto his back and reached for Zelda's, which had fallen while fighting the Guardian. There was nothing helpful in there either, and when Zelda tried to get to her feet, he hastily set the bag down and placed a hand on her shoulder, keeping her down.

"Don't try to walk yet." He said simply, his eyes landing on the guardian shield that was still attached to Zelda's arm.

It was no longer usable. Its blue material was melted and mangled, the result of taking the full attack from the Guardian. It was bent as well, making it look painful as it clung to Zelda's arm. Following Link's line of sight, Zelda laughed weakly as she shifted her arm which moved the shield just a tad.

"Oops." She said with an embarrassed smile, tugging it off of her arm and setting it aside. Her eyes drifted back to Link, her brow furrowing when she saw Link's burn on his arm. "Wait… you're hurt too." She said, leaning forward to examine it better.

Link shifted away, shaking his head. "It's only a small burn. Your leg needs more attention." He said without hesitation, picking up the Master Sword and bringing it to the edge of his Champion's Tunic, ready to slice off a part of it to use as a bandage. Zelda caught on and quickly pushed the sword away.

"Link, don't. I know how important that tunic is for you. My leg will be fine. It isn't bleeding really much at all." She said calmly, even smiling softly to emphasize her point. It was true; her thigh had been cut as well as burned, so it wasn't bleeding as Link thought it would've.

He was about to open his mouth to protest when a red tracking laser appeared on Zelda's chest, accompanied by that dreadful beeping. The two Hylians immediately clambered to their feet, Zelda pulling her bag onto her shoulder and stumbling when she tried to put some weight on her leg. Link quickly told her to stay put and slipped the Master Sword back into its sheath, turning to face the Guardian approaching them as he pulled out his bow, stringing their last ancient arrow.

Taking a deep breath, Link pulled his arm back, wincing from his burn but otherwise ignoring it. The Guardian stalked closer, only focusing on Zelda, not seeing the attack that was coming from Link. He closed one eye to aim better before releasing the ancient arrow with a loud _twang! _The projectile whizzed through the air before pegging the machine directly in the eye, killing it instantly. It dropped to the ground, the arrow sticking out of its now dark eye like it had been there all along.

Zelda gaped at the machine, turning to look at Link. "We need more of those arrows." She said seriously.

Link stared at the Guardian as well, not able to tear his eyes away from it and the powerful arrow that had one-shotted the thing. "Definitely."

The two Hylians had finally managed to get to the grove of trees by noon, having been slowed with Zelda's injured leg. They now found themselves on top of a ruined stone ground that was decorated quite intricately, surrounded by four pillars that were each in varying levels of ruin. Zelda pulled up the location on the Sheikah Slate, reading aloud that it was called the Sacred Ground. It was beautiful, the two Hylians agreed on that, but it, like everything else from the past kingdom, had a somber air to it that ruined the beauty and sacredness of it.

As both Link and Zelda sat down on the stone for a moment of respite and to drink from their flasks, seeing how they had no food, Zelda suddenly gasped. She hurriedly brought out the Sheikah Slate once again, bringing up one of the pictures Impa had said they could use to regain their memories. It was a picture of the exact Sacred Ground they now found themselves in, showing the stunning Hyrule Castle past the trees that they were gazing upon right now. Although, in the picture, it was bright and divine, whereas now it looked dark and grim.

Link gasped and closed his flask of water once he caught sight of the picture, looking up at Zelda, but she was staring up at the castle past the trees, her mouth slightly agape and her eyes glazed over. _Another memory… _Link thought to himself, turning away from her and looking up at the spires from the castle that towered over the trees in the distance as well.

He was just recalling how he had almost fallen into a memory while fighting the Guardians when he himself tipped into the past and was momentarily lost from the present.

_He was kneeling on the hard stone, bowing his head before the Princess Zelda. His heart pounded inside his chest, but he kept his eyes closed and his face neutral and reverent. The Master Sword weighed heavily on his back as the humble ceremony commenced once the Princess began to speak. _

"_Hero of Hyrule, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness… You have shown unflinching bravery and skill in the face of darkness and adversity." _

_Link was listening intently to the Princess's words, but he couldn't help but feel the gazes of the Champions on his back. They were watching, as was expected of them, but it made him feel squeamish and uncomfortable. However, no matter what was going on inside of him, he would not dare to show it on the outside. He would not dare move a single muscle, and so he didn't, instead focusing on Princess Zelda alone. _

"_You have proven yourself worthy of the blessings of the Goddess Hylia. Whether skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight… The sacred blade is forever bound to the soul of the Hero. We pray for your protection… and we hope that-" The Princess cut herself off for a split second, continuing on as if she hadn't just broken her line of speech. "-that the two of you will grow stronger together, as one."_

_She paused again, making Link's head whirl with panicked thoughts. Why did she stop? Why did she just take such a deep breath? Was he kneeling wrong? What were the Champions thinking of him? What was the Princess thinking of him? Had she opened her eyes? Should he open his own eyes? _

_Stop it. Link internally slapped himself. He stayed still, keeping his ears from twitching when the Princess began to speak again. He would not budge until this was over, even when his legs began to ache from how tense he was. The kingdom of Hyrule was relying on him. Everyone was relying on him. They all had the moment he had pulled the Master Sword from its pedestal just a few years prior… He would stay valiant. He would be the perfect hero everyone expected him to be. He only hoped that the Princess and the Champions saw him in the image he desired to be… _


	21. Ruins and Bones

**[Insert welcoming message here]**

Gasping, Link was suddenly thrown back to the present, opening his eyes with a start. Blinking furiously, he stared up at the castle, his eyes falling to the side. Zelda was there, hugging her knees to her chest. She glanced over at Link somberly, heaving a sigh and looking back up at the castle.

Silence ensued until Zelda spoke. "You were so still…" She said quietly. It was almost a whisper.

Link watched her for a moment, exhaling slowly through his nose and turning away. "I know." He replied, just as quiet.

"Did you… hate me back then?"

"What?" Link's head snapped towards her. "No! Of course not!"

Her gaze was pointed down, her chin resting on her knees. "I just can't shake the feeling that… you did."

"What do you mean?"

She sighed again. "It's just… I know now that I couldn't unlock my power 100 years ago. Everyone… everyone was counting on me… including you and the Champions. During that ceremony, I just remember feeling so sick inside. Sick with guilt and shame."

Link didn't know what to say. So, he said nothing. He quietly scooted towards her, hesitating for a second before wrapping an arm around her and pulling her into a hug from where they both sat. Zelda straightened out her legs and hugged Link back tightly, and he could've sworn he heard her sniffle.

They stayed like that for who knows how long, embracing each other in silent comfort. Link was trying to wrap his brain around what Zelda had said, replaying their recent memory over and over in his head. Things were still muddled, but one thing was for sure.

"Zelda…" Link began, separating and looking into her eyes. They were wet with tears, but none had fallen. "Things are… confusing right now, but I want you to know something that I know to be true, without a doubt." He paused, making sure he had Zelda's full attention. "Never once in my life have I ever hated you. I've never even disliked you, even when I didn't even know who I was. Please don't forget that."

A tear tumbled down Zelda's cheek and she hastily wiped it away before nodding. "I-I won't."

A smile appeared on Link's face and he pulled her into another hug. "Good."

About ten minutes later, Link and Zelda were back up and walking out of the Sacred Ground. Zelda's leg was still hurting something awful, but she masked it well and insisted they keep moving. Link didn't like her walking on such a fresh injury, even if it wasn't bleeding, but he couldn't argue with the fact that the longer they took, the longer Revali and Urbosa had to suffer.

However, before they could completely leave the ruins, as Zelda was looking down on the Sheikah Slate, she stopped and stared back up at the castle. Link stopped as well and turned. "What is it?" He asked with an eyebrow raised.

She frowned and showed him a picture from the Slate. "This picture here… I'm positive it's from Hyrule Castle." She said, and Link blinked in surprise once he took a look at it. She was right; the picture was that of a stone path leading to a circular room. The architecture looked exactly like Hyrule Castle. "So… I was thinking…" Zelda began hesitantly, and Link already knew where she was going with this. "Since we're already this close to the castle, perhaps we should go in and… and try to regain more of our memories there. Maybe there's something in our past that can help us now."

Link wanted nothing more than to hear those words. He immediately nodded, even before she finished speaking. "Yes! Let's do it. We won't go to Calamity Ganon, we'll just… look around for a while." He said with a smile. "Besides, we've got the Master Sword now." He added, taking hold of the hilt of the legendary sword and taking it out just a tad to expose a part of its shining blade.

Zelda didn't look too pleased with that, however, so he let go of the hilt and apologized. She smiled and playfully nudged him, making a sassy remark before they continued out of the ruins, this time straight towards Hyrule Castle. They were only stopped when three giant blue Chuchus popped out of the ground in front of them. Link dispatched of them quickly, getting splattered with Chuchu jelly. That brought a laugh out of Zelda, and they continued forward.

They were out of the ruins now, approaching Hyrule Castle Town. It was mostly hidden by the broken wall that surrounded the town, but once they entered in through the main gate, they both froze in horror.

The town was even worse to look at from the front then it was from the side, as they had done earlier. The smell was even worse now as they were closer to the splotches of malice that covered the ruins. Glowing pink ashes and thick black smoke drifted through the air, burning Link and Zelda's nostrils. Zelda even put an arm over her face to try to shield herself from it as they continued forward.

They were quickly stopped by a wall of malice. A large, orange eye was sticking out of the toxic stuff, staring at them ominously. Link drew the Master Sword and was about to dispose of the thing before Zelda stopped him and pointed out the dormant Guardian that lay on the other side. It looked dead, but once Link looked closer, he could see a faint pink light pulsing slowly through the machine. So the two Hylians went to the left through the ruins, stepping over the remnants of the homes of Hylian families before stepping back onto the main road, far enough away from the Guardian to not disturb it.

As they walked, Link and Zelda said nothing. The death in the air was suffocating and hard to ignore. Link felt sick, and with one glance to Zelda and seeing her pale face, he knew she felt the same. His hand was clenched so hard around the Master Sword's hilt that it was starting to ache, but he didn't loosen his grip. He felt uneasy, to say the least.

Silently, the two turned down some stairs and found themselves before a large ruined fountain. It was completely dried out except for a shallow puddle near the bottom. The sight was extremely depressing, so the two Hylians quickly made their way towards the main gate of Hyrule Castle itself, giving a dormant Guardian that was lying near the fountain a wide berth.

As they got closer to the main gate, the horrible feeling of death that had lingered around them in the town grew stronger. Link's stomach was squirming, and his hands were trembling. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the highest spire of the castle. And he knew perfectly why.

_Calamity Ganon. He's there. I know he is. _

"Link, wait." Zelda suddenly spoke, grabbing Link's arm to stop him. He flinched, relaxing when he realized it was just Zelda.

Her face was sickly pale, and her eyes were swirling with emotion, but she simply pointed up to a Guardian Skywatcher that was flying around the main gate as if it were a guard on patrol. "We shouldn't go in this way. The main gate probably has swarms of Guardians past it. We should find a way to sneak in."

Link didn't have anything against that, so he slowly nodded his head. "Alright. You lead the way." He said with a shaky smile, his voice giving out on the last word.

Zelda nodded back, obviously struggling to keep herself under control. The two Hylians quickly turned and stiffly walked back down the path they had come, turning right at the fountain and coming to another barrier of malice with another eye simply watching them. Link couldn't take it anymore. He had seen those eyes in his dreams. They were plaguing his mind. They were tickling his lost memories, and he knew that Ganon had eyes just like that.

With a wordless shout, he stormed forward, lunging and stabbing the disgusting eye right in the center. It screeched and gurgled as liquid malice bled from it, shriveling in on itself like a rotten grape before it and the barrier vanished into black and pink smoke that choked Link as it blew away. He coughed, squeezing his eyes shut until it was gone. Once he opened his eyes, however, the anger that had been boiling inside of him vanished.

A once dormant Guardian was now coming alive, glowing furiously and spinning its head as it searched for the intruder. "Oh no…" Link muttered to himself as Zelda came up beside him, staring up at the Guardian with fear.

They couldn't outrun the thing, not with Zelda's injured leg. The only choice was to fight. Link only hoped that it would go smoothly. "Zelda, stay behind me." He said quietly, just as the Guardian's blue eye blinked into existence and that horrible red tracking laser appeared on his chest.

"What? No! I can still fight-"

Link didn't wait to listen to Zelda's arguments, slipping his bag off of his shoulders and charging forward. He swiped horizontally in hopes of slicing off one of the machine's legs, but the thing scurried back before he had the chance, and it was ready to fire.

Gritting his teeth, Link leaped into one of the ruined homes, ducking behind a wall just as the Guardian let its laser loose. The beam exploded into the wall, destroying it instantly. Not waiting for the dust to settle, Link charged out from the ruins and managed to cut one of the Guardian's legs cleanly off, almost getting another before it backed off and began to charge up again.

However, the tracking laser wasn't on Link anymore. It was on Zelda, who was running towards the machine, sword out and ready. Her leg was slowing her, but the adrenaline that was no doubt burning in her body allowed her to forget the pain momentarily. Link's heart skipped a beat and he sprinted towards Zelda, crashing into her and knocking them both to the ground just as a beam shot over their heads.

"Zelda, I told you, stay behind me! You can't fight with your leg!" Link shouted, quickly getting back to his feet and sprinting towards the Guardian once again. He got another leg sliced off, dodged another beam, and was finally able to get close enough to the machine to end it. However, before he could, Zelda's Guardian sword suddenly flew past him and stabbed the machine almost near the eye.

The surprise of the sword flying past him knocked Link off of his feet, especially when the Guardian scampered away in shock, whirring around and firing off laser after laser. Link fell onto his back, gasping from the air getting knocked out of him and his quiver and bow stabbing painfully into his back. The Guardian was now out of control, scurrying in circles. It was coming towards Link, the beams coming out of it getting dangerously close. Scrambling out of the way before he could get stepped on, Link climbed to his feet and watched in shock as the machine stumbled crazily towards the cliff and tumbled into the moat.

It was quiet. Link stared at where the Guardian fell, feeling a sudden pain on his right shoulder and finding a burn from one of the beams there. He tenderly touched the fresh injury, wincing as he did so. He was about to look for Zelda when she ran up to him instead, almost stumbling from her leg but keeping herself balanced.

"Link! Oh, Goddesses!" She was breathing hard, looking at Link with relief. When he didn't say anything, her smile wavered. "Good thing we were close to the moat, right?"

"Did you… throw your sword?" Link asked, looking down at the now-empty sheath on her hip.

Zelda's smile fell and she slowly unbuckled the sheath and dropped it onto the ground. "I thought I could finish it off for you, but… I just made things worse, didn't I."

"No… no, it's okay, it's just… that's not really like you. You usually think more. There was too much risk in a throw like that, wasn't there? I mean, I was on the Guardian. You could've hit me, or missed the Guardian entirely."

Zelda bit her lip and kept her gaze trained on the ground. "I'm sorry… I wasn't thinking clearly. Just, ever since that last memory, I feel like I need to…" She paused, wrapping her arms around herself. "I feel like I need to…" She tried again, but the words wouldn't come out.

Link knew where she was coming from. "You feel like you need to prove yourself?" He finished for her.

She looked up in surprise before sighing again. "I feel like a failure, Link. I just need to do something to prove my worth."

"Zelda, you've already done enough to prove your worth." Link began, sheathing the Master Sword and placing both of his hands on her shoulders, careful not to touch her own burn on her right shoulder. "Just think about Rudania. I couldn't finish cleansing it and I couldn't free Daruk without your help. Besides, you were the one who put that temporary seal on Calamity Ganon! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be standing here today. We wouldn't be standing here today."

There was silence for a moment before Zelda looked into Link's eyes. "You're right, I guess." She finally said with a small, weak smile.

Link smiled back at her, letting go of her shoulders and taking the Master Sword back out from its sheath. "I know I'm right. Believe me, I feel like a failure all of the time. If you _ever _feel that way again, just tell me and I'll slap some sense into you." He said with a chuckle, walking to his bag and picking it up, slipping it onto both of his shoulders once again. He knew Zelda was still feeling guilty about what had just happened, he could see it in her eyes, but they couldn't spend too much time out in these ruins. A guardian Skywatcher could fly over them at any time. They needed to get into the castle as soon as possible.

After disposing of another eye and barrier of malice, the two Hylians walked along a giant pool of malice with large spikes sticking out of it that kept them from the moat, finally finding a small opening where they could make it to the cliffside to look for another way into the castle. The malice was awful to get so close to, burning their nostrils and eyes from how toxic it was. Despite that, they managed to get by just fine.

They were now close to one of the huge pillars that pointed inwards towards the castle, glowing the same, ominous pink that everything tainted by malice did. Link had no idea what the pillars were supposed to be, but Zelda told him it had something to do with the Guardians, from what she could remember from her research, that is. It didn't bother the two Hylians too much anyway, so they simply ignored the pillar and instead searched for a way into the castle.

"There!" Zelda exclaimed excitedly, pointing to a square opening with wooden beams framing it. The two Hylians quickly made their way towards it, walking down a steep hill to find themselves at the shore of the moat, with just about ten feet of rushing water separating them from the land that the castle stood upon.

Without hesitation, Zelda took out the Sheikah Slate and created two pillars of ice spaced out across the water with the Cryonis rune. Struggling at first, both Link and Zelda climbed onto the ice and made it across the water. The pillars were surprisingly rough, which made them easier to stand and jump on, but it was still difficult.

And before they knew it, the Hylian Champion and Princess were on Hyrule Castle's grounds, panting and staring up at the once-glamorous structure that was now tainted by Calamity Ganon. Link couldn't believe his eyes. They had made it. They were so close to Ganon. It was terrifying. Exhilarating. If they wanted to, they could climb up to the tallest spire right now, and challenge the monstrous beast that had destroyed their lives. But of course, that wouldn't end well… it wouldn't until they freed all of the Divine Beast, and relied on the Champion's help to finally defeat the Calamity.

"We… we should… should get going. I-I don't want to spend too much time here." Zelda finally said after a long moment of silence, stuttering. Her whole body was trembling, and she looked like she might throw up. Link couldn't even begin to imagine what was going through her head right now. This was her home, after all.

"Right." Link replied, the two Hylians beginning to make their way towards the entrance they had set their sights on.

However, right as they took their first steps, a roar that shook the ground and rattled their bodies suddenly erupted from within the castle. Link and Zelda both froze, the blood draining from their faces. A sudden harsh wind of smoke and ashes then barrelled into them, making them duck their heads as they waited for it to pass. They both knew exactly what had created that noise and that surge of powerful wind that felt almost like a shockwave…

_Calamity Ganon. _

Link stared in horror up at the spire as the wind had calmed again, wanting so desperately to unsheath the Master Sword but finding himself unable to move. His heart was thumping out of control with blood pounding in his ears. _Did their presence somehow waken the Calamity? Was the seal breaking? _

The echoes of the roar slowly faded away and the two Hylians were frozen in complete fear for what seemed to be an eternity. There was complete silence, with no sign that that roar had ever happened in the first place. Zelda was shaking in complete terror, and Link almost forgot to breathe. Nobody moved until Link inhaled sharply.

"Do you… do you think it was a good idea to come here?" He managed to say.

Zelda took out the Sheikah Slate, looking down on the picture that had led them here in the first place. She was still considerably pale, but she gripped the Sheikah Slate harder and nodded, a steely determination in her eyes. "Yes. The seal won't break. I know it won't." She didn't sound too sure of herself, but Link simply nodded along with her to try and boost both of their confidence.

"Then let's keep going." He said, taking out the Master Sword and continuing towards the entrance to the castle. Zelda followed closely behind him, and before they knew it, they were in.

The room was simply a cave carved into the rock with an unlit cooking pot sitting to the side. A few crates and broken barrels were sitting behind it up against the wall, so Link and Zelda went up to them and opened the crates up, kicking the broken barrels to the side, trying to ignore the lingering feelings of fear that was planted in both of their hearts.

Inside the first crate was rotten meat, which made the two Hylians gag as they quickly closed it again before more of the smell leaked out. The second had a collection of different types of arrows. Most of them were broken, however, but Link managed to scavenge a bundle of normal arrows, three fire arrows, and two electric ones.

The third crate was the most helpful as it had some flint inside, and a variety of oats, rice, and wheat. The two Hylians took out the food they thought to still be good, and Link lit a small fire under the cooking pot with the flint. While Zelda went out to scoop up some water from the moat, Link scavenged the cave for anything else to eat. Grains wouldn't do much. Fortunately, he managed to find a large hearty truffle and a few Hylian mushrooms that were growing from a patch of dirt just outside.

Zelda already had the water in the pot, and it was slowly starting to boil. About an hour passed by after that with a makeshift dinner made and with them eating it. The fire was out by now, and the sun was about three hours away from meeting the horizon. Both Link and Zelda hadn't said much to each other. The dead air inside of the castle and the somber mood was hard to ignore, after all.

A while later the food was gone and Link and Zelda were back on their feet. They had both walked through the only open passageway that was in the cave, finding themselves in front of a minecart that was simply sitting on two metal bars that stretched and winded out of sight. Apparently those were supposed to be the tracks. Now the two Hylians were debating on whether or not they should try using it.

"I think it's pretty safe." Link said, kicking it to emphasize his point.

"It's a _minecart_," Zelda argued. "It's supposed to transport rocks and minerals. Not Hylians."

Link shrugged. "I think it's safer to use then to go back out there." He said, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder towards the outside. It had started raining a few minutes prior, which kept Link and Zelda inside. "Besides, there's nowhere else to go in this room except on the minecart. I say we give it a try."

Zelda frowned and sighed. "Okay, okay. You're right."

Smiling victoriously, Link climbed into the cart, helping Zelda in as well. And before Zelda could say anything else, Link pulled on a lever and they were off, some unseen force pushing or pulling the cart along the rails. They rounded around a large bend until they found themselves in another passageway similar to the one they were just in and the end of the track for the minecart.

Climbing out of the cart, Link and Zelda trudged onward, coming to a large open room that was still simply a glorified cave. However, in this one there was a rather sizable pool of steaming water. Decayed Guardians were scattered about the room as well, half-buried in the rock. Past that was a small path that winded upwards with hanging torches on the wall lining it and leading the way. The passageway continued there.

"This is called the West Passage," Zelda said with wide eyes as she looked around.

Link's brow furrowed. "How do you know?"

"It's slowly coming back to me. I never really came down here into these kinds of passageways when I was grown since I was the Princess, but I still recognize it. I remember sneaking down here as a child and playing in that hot spring." She pointed to the pool of water, walking up to it and kneeling down, putting a hand in the water and swirling it around. Link simply followed her, eying the decayed Guardians just in case one was still somehow active.

Zelda stared at the water for a while, obviously reminiscing about the past. She then stood, wiping her wet hand on her pants and taking a deep breath. "But this isn't what we came for. Let's keep going."

"Right behind you." Link said with a small smile, and they walked up the path without another word.

They left the West Passage behind and walked through a tunnel with wood beams supporting the cave. Link had no idea the castle had any rooms like this. All he could faintly remember were the fancy rooms lined with red carpet and filled with intricately carved furniture. Although, it made sense to have these underground passageways, and once they climbed through a large hole in one of the stone walls and found themselves in front of a passageway blocked off by steel bars, Link realized just exactly where they were.

"This is the lockup, isn't it." He said with wide eyes, looking around the stone corridor they were in. It still wasn't something that looked liked it belonged in a castle, but at least it wasn't a cave.

Zelda simply nodded, walking up to the bars blocking their path and tugging on them. They were pretty much loose, so Zelda took out the Sheikah Slate and summoned a remote bomb. She set it down against the bars and the two Hylians backed up, careful not to step in the patches of malice here and there. Once they were far enough away Zelda activated the bomb, and with a loud _boom_ that echoed throughout the lockup, Link and Zelda saw that a rather sizable hole had been blown into the bars. They stepped through the opening carefully, gasping from the view that greeted them on the other side.

They were in the main corridor of the lockup, with multiple prison cells lining the passageway on both sides to their right. Torches hung on the wall as well, providing an eery light to the place. On their left was an opening lined with metal bars. Intrigued, the two Hylians entered in and rounded a sharp corner to the right, staring into a large open room with a pile of giant bones sitting in the middle.

"You know… those kind of look like they would be Hinox bones." Link said, thinking out loud. They both entered through the open gate, getting a closer look at the ominous sight.

"They are," Zelda replied quietly, kneeling down and gingerly poking one of the bones.

While Zelda continued to investigate the pile of bones, Link caught sight of a stone plack standing at the back of the room, and he walked up to it, kneeling down and reading the words on it out loud.

"Test of the Royal Guard. Strike down the giant foe to become recognized as a knight of the kingdom." Link's brow furrowed as he stood back up, looking at Zelda who was walking towards him. "I don't remember anything about this."

Zelda stared down at the stone plack for a moment before her face lit up with sudden recognition. "I remember! This was the last test for common soldiers to pass before they could be recognized as a part of the Royal Guard."

"I didn't have to do anything like that to become your appointed knight."

"That's because of the Master Sword," Zelda replied, squatting down in front of the stone and looking at it curiously.

Link shrugged nonchalantly, although he had a rather proud smile on his face. That vanished in an instant however as the pile of bones started… moving? They were all wiggling around, slowly coming together as if…

"Uh… Zelda? Can skeletons come alive?" Link asked nervously, tapping on Zelda's shoulder who was behind him as he continued to stare at the bones as they started to form the skeleton of a long-dead Hinox.

Zelda let out a little laugh. "No, they can't. Unless, of course, you were talking about monsters. There's Stalkoblins, Stalmoblins, Stalizalfos-"

"And Stalnoxes?" Link interrupted, watching with wide eyes as the now fully formed Stalnox bent down and picked up its head, which had a single large purple and blue eye with a glowing green slitted pupil. The eye rolled around in the socket once before narrowing in on Link and Zelda.

"Well yeah-"

_THUNK. _

Zelda immediately whirled around, as the open gate the two Hylians had walked through had suddenly slammed shut, sealing them in with the skeletal beast. Zelda leaped to her feet upon seeing the monster, gasping in surprise.

The Stalnox then let out a strange roar that sounded completely hollow and breathy but still threatening nonetheless. It began to stomp towards them, its bones cracking and creaking with every movement it made. Link instantly drew the Master Sword from its sheath, its blade still glowing its ethereal light. Zelda took out her Sheikah Slate since the Guardian sword had gone down with that Guardian back in the town, searching around for anything else she could use as a weapon. The two Hylians then took off their bags in unison as they would obviously have to fight, but before Zelda could find anything to fight with, Link was already charging towards the Stalnox.

He ran right in between its legs, slashing at one of its ankles as he did so, thinking back to when he had fought the Hinox. _At least this giant doesn't smell as bad as the flesh one did._ Link thought wryly to himself, snapping his focus back on the battle at hand. The Stalnox had not found his attack amusing, nor painful for that matter, simply jumping up and landing on its haunches instead of bothering to turn around. Link dodged just in time, almost losing his footing from the shockwave that came from the beast's weight slamming into the stone.

Without waiting for the Stlanox to regain its footing, Link charged again, running around it and attacking its leg again. It made a decent scratch but still didn't affect the monster in any way. _If attacking its bones won't hurt it, then what about its eye? _Link thought to himself with a slight smile, spinning around to face the beast and slipping the Master Sword back into its sheath as he did so. He brought out his bow, stringing a normal arrow and preparing to let it loose. The monster was focusing on him, staring him down and giving him the perfect opportunity. Just a little more adjustment and…

He never got the chance. Before he could let the arrow fly, a rock flew into the Stalnox, making it jerk towards Zelda, who had thrown it. She was glaring up at the beast, throwing another jagged stone at the monster.

"Zelda what are you doing?" Link shouted, just as the Stalnox slammed its hand onto the ground near Zelda, attempting to smash her, but she had managed to sprint out of the way just in time. Link instantly ran towards her, still holding his bow with one hand.

"Helping!" Zelda shouted back in response, wincing from her leg injury and narrowly missing getting squashed for a second time.

Link ran by her and grabbed her wrist with his free hand, dragging her behind him out of harm's way. "You're hurt! Did you forget?" Link said rather harshly, turning to face her as the Stalnox lazily bounded towards them. Link glanced over his shoulder at the monster before hurriedly turning his attention back on Zelda. "Stay here until this is over." He growled, letting go of her wrist and spinning around towards the Stalnox, shooting an arrow at the beast.

It just barely missed the monster's eye, sticking right into its skull. Enraged, the Stalnox growled and lumbered towards Link, faster than before. _Well, at least it doesn't have any trees to throw. _Link thought to himself, shooting another arrow that pegged the Stalnox in the shoulder.

As if on cue, the skeletal monster grabbed one of its ribs and violently yanked it out, almost grinning with its jaw before throwing the rather large bone at Link. _Nevermind. _Link thought with a scowl before ducking into a forward roll to avoid the bone. It clattered loudly onto the ground behind Link, echoing around the large spacious room.

Stringing another arrow, Link was about to try to shoot the Stalnox right in the eye, as he had been planning on doing since the beginning of the battle, but before he could he saw Zelda running behind and towards the monster with a rusty claymore. She was holding it with both hands, obviously struggling with the heavy weapon.

A surge of panic flew through Link, making him hesitate in releasing his arrow. "Zelda!" He yelled, "Get out of the way!"

Obviously ignoring him, Zelda swung the claymore with great effort, slamming it right into one of the Stalnox's ankles. The skeletal monster raised its foot in annoyance, peering down on Zelda who was still clinging onto the rusty weapon even as it was raised up since it was stuck in the monster's bone.

"Zelda!" Link was downright screaming at this point, watching in terror as the Stalnox violently stomped its foot on to the ground, knocking Zelda away with the shockwave that followed. Zelda landed on her back, disorientated from the sudden flight she had taken, unaware that the Stalnox had turned and was bending over while bringing its hand towards her.

Finally coming to his senses, Link quickly strung a fire arrow, hoping it would do more damage, releasing it with a grunt. It struck the Stalnox right in its spine with a blast of fire accompanying it, but the monster didn't even take notice. It grabbed Zelda before she could even realize what was happening, picking her up as if she were some plaything. She screamed in surprise and fright, making Link's stomach coil in fear and anger.

"Let her go!" He yelled, switching back to a normal arrow to avoid hurting Zelda with the elementals and preparing to fire, hesitating when the Stalnox brought Zelda in front of it almost like a shield. Zelda was squirming and trying to wrestle out of the monster's grip, but no matter what she did, she couldn't get out. She couldn't even grab the Sheikah Slate since her arms were pegged to her sides.

Glaring fiercely at the skeletal monster, Link dropped his bow and drew the Master Sword again, rushing forward. He had a plan in mind, but it involved a lot of risks. However, with Zelda in danger, there was no time for him to think about those risks. He charged blindly forward, face hot with anger and eyes set in stone-like determination.

He ended up underneath the Stalnox again, and before the monster had time to react or attack, he swung at the ankle he had attacked before with all of his strength, slamming the sharp blade almost halfway into the bone. He pulled it out with a grunt, hurrying out of the way as the Stalnox stomped around in irritation. Link guessed it would take one last swing to do the job, but there was still the problem with Zelda being held so high up. He just hoped that she could realize what was coming and prepare accordingly.

After the Stalnox got done with its stomping rampage, Link took a breath and charged again. The Stalnox knew he was coming, however, slamming its free hand down onto the ground in an attempt to squash its enemy. Zelda let out an involuntary shriek as the Stalnox leaned forward violently to perform the attack, and Link saw an opportunity. Abandoning his previous plan, he darted for the Stalnox's hand, which was slowly rising as the skeletal monster straightened.

Before it could get too high, however, Link jumped and latched onto one of the monster's fingers, clambering on and running up the beast's arm. The Stalnox was caught off guard, roaring and growling as it attempted to shake Link off. The monster was too late. Link was already at its shoulder.

In the blink of an eye, he climbed to the Stalnox's head, and with a wordless cry, he plunged the Master Sword straight into the monster's soulless eye, sinking it in until it pierced straight through the skull below.

Link thought he should feel victorious, but with a scream of warning from Zelda as the Stalnox thrashed, all feelings of victory vanished. In the monster's frenzy, it had dropped Zelda, who had already fallen out of Link's line of sight, and with both hands, slapped Link off of its head. He never even had the chance to register what had happened before he was violently thrown into the stone wall behind the monster, his head whacking the unforgiving rock and immediately mercilessly throwing him into darkness.

**And there we go :D Link is getting hurt a lot, the poor boy, and that will all come to a head in the next chapter. Prepare yourselves! **

**Besides that, thank you for reading! Make sure to leave a review if you enjoyed!**


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